The January transfer window is a short 2 months away, and we expect Sam Allardyce and Chris Mort to take the opportunity to further strengthen and shake up the Newcastle squad.
Obviously Sam will want to press on from his very successful endeavors during the summer to snap up even more good players.
Eidur Gudjohnsen – could the experienced Icelander be on his way in January?
To do this we wouldn’t be surprised if some players actually leave the club and Shola Ameobi is one that has to be in danger of being shipped out. Looks like Derby County are making it known that they’d like to take him on loan in January. But that’s hardly a good deal for Newcastle since this season is a decisive one for the 26 year-old and if he cannot make his mark on the team he will be moved on, but not on loan. Players will be moved out if only to make way for new players coming into the squad. If not in January then next summer for sure.
This is what Sam said to the Daily Mirror today about January:
“It’s a difficult period.”
“The January window is something for me to talk about with Chris (Mort), the chairman, and try to plan for that as soon as we can and see what comes about.”
We expect Sam to be bringing in some top youngsters, but players who will immediately be part of the first team squad. We have profiled some of the ones we are said to be after. Youngsters who may have been targeted include Real Madrid’s 20 year-old left back Krzysztof Krol, Ajax’s left back 21 year-old Urby Emaluenson and we have already seemingly done a deal with Le Havre for 18 year-old striker Wesley Baheng. Baheng is set to join us in January.
We also expect Barcelona’s Edmilson to be brought in during early January for a nominal fee from Barcelona and perhaps his team mate Eidur Gudjohnsen. However, Edmilson hinted recently that AC Milan were interested in him during the summer and if Milan come in for him it may be a hard sell for Sam to convince the Brazilian to come to Newcastle.
But we’ll just have to see who else comes in January – but it will definitely be the next step in Newcastle’s rebuilding as a follow-on from the summer. Don’t be surprised if a lot of the actual deals are completed even before January arrives as is the case with Wesley Baheng.
Let’s know who you think Newcastle should get during the January window to strengthen the squad.
Comments welcome.
40 comments so far
MattyDread
Oct 22, 2007 at 11:19 AM
Comment #1Personally Ed I think a loan move to Derby would be a sensible move for Ameobi and NUFC. Playing for Derby would give him more first team football and more of a chance to shine than he would ever get here, which in turn would hopefully improve any potential transfer fee at the end of the season.
As for players in Gudjohnsen would be a great signing – he would really improve the squad and offer yet more options in attack. We also desperately need cover for right wing and both full back positions.
Ed Harrison
Oct 22, 2007 at 11:31 AM
Comment #2MattyDread – but I think he’s past being sent out on loan – you usually do that with the youngsters to give them playing experience. Personally I think now’s the time to decide if Shola’s good enough or not – actually think Sam likes him. We’ll see how he does when he gets back from injury shortly. he’ll have a chance to impress before January.
Ed Harrison
Oct 22, 2007 at 11:33 AM
Comment #3Sam is looking at a couple of young left backs – who from their career so far looks very good players in the making. But you’re right about full backs because cannot believe we’ll keep Carr and Babayaro – injured far too much – and simply not good enough now.
Hammy
Oct 22, 2007 at 11:34 AM
Comment #4Big Sam is trying to raise the standard and calibre of player at the toon,
fortunately there is now no room for mediocre players……expect Shola, Babs and Carr and possibly a couple of others to be shown the door in January.
big pea ov the weab
Oct 22, 2007 at 11:35 AM
Comment #5i think shola to derby would be a good move for him and club chances are hel score loads then come back here and be avradge again but gudjhonson and edmilson would be extreamly good signings for the club
Cyprus Toon
Oct 22, 2007 at 11:47 AM
Comment #6Get shot of Ameobi, Carr & Babs, maybe 1 or 2 of the reserve team player too & get Godjohnson, Gareth Barry, Wayne Bridge & Shorey in, that would cover those out on the African Tournament also!
I think once we get Duff & Ramage back, we’re pretty much gonna have a pretty good suqad, so getting the above additions should make us a very strong side, as long as we can keep them all happy!
Why is it other teams like Chelski, Man USA, Arsenal & Liverpool can keep there players happy when they’re on the bench but we can’t????
bowsie
Oct 22, 2007 at 11:47 AM
Comment #7Agreed on Gudjohnsen – we should push the hard sell on this one, with Sam’s connection to him. He would really fill a gap in the Newcastle squad as someone who can play in behind the front two, would really improve our dynamic and allow us to play through the middle with his invention.
He’s class and would be a great improvement.
Geordiepie
Oct 22, 2007 at 12:29 PM
Comment #8Cyprus Toon – Chelsea, man U, Arsenal and Liverpool can keep players happy becouse they could only play 10-15 games in a season and still come away with a Champions League, Premiership or FA Cup winners medal. Until we can do that we won’t have the luxury of two quality players in every position.
Lynda
Oct 22, 2007 at 12:34 PM
Comment #9This looks like being an unusually active transfer window in the PL. Loads of clubs have money and are talking about spending (papers reckon Sunderland are to spend 60 million*). This may be a good thing or a bad thing: there’s every chance we’ll be in with competition from our immediate rivals (Villa etc) for any player.
* That would be a hundred million spent by Sunderland. Is Quinn’s secret consortium secretly made up of Abramovich?
Rich
Oct 22, 2007 at 12:44 PM
Comment #10We desperately desperately need a right winger in january, a right back n a left back n we are sorted. Gudjohnsen would be great but id rather spend 8 million o0n a right winger!!!
Ed Harrison
Oct 22, 2007 at 12:47 PM
Comment #11Lynda – Sunderland need to spend quickly – while they were unlucky at West Ham yesterday – they don’t have the players right now to stay up.
Rich
Oct 22, 2007 at 12:53 PM
Comment #12Ed- I saw on another topic you said Jones would be a good replacement for Ameobi, you are totally right he caused west ham all sorts of problems yesterday, hes a huge presence.
sirjasontoon
Oct 22, 2007 at 1:00 PM
Comment #13Sunderland can spend spend spend Lynda..just like Leeds did !
I hope they spend 100m on more Bozo’s..they are truly down.10MIL on a goalkeeper is classic as he looks very poor too and they where beaten by a very average west ham.
I think they will be hard pressed to get players of any significant premiership/euro quality to play there in a relegation battle it will be a case of you shelling out lots for players not really interested in your club.
With regards our transfer window I think Shola/Carr and Babayaro should be cut off the wage bill and hopefully invest in some creative talent and possibly eidur would be a good fit If he can still cut it in the premiership.
Owen
Oct 22, 2007 at 1:01 PM
Comment #14Gudjonsen would be a great buy but he’s very similar to Smith and since BSA and Ashley really seem to rate Smith, where would he fit. Smith is wasted in Midfield, but truth be told I think Eidur is a better striker.
As for Ameobi, Carr and Baba, bye bye. We could use the proceeds from the sale of those three to buy the tea lady a new trolley.
I agree about a right winger, but Id also like to see a real play maker in the centre too. It’ll give us real options to change the formation when playing different teams.
Dirk
Oct 22, 2007 at 1:06 PM
Comment #15we need to b carefull here, were in danger of taking in too many good players, we need to get the right balance otherwise we could be endangered to losin a few players that want regular first team football, can future stars stand stayin on the bench all the time lik taylor? or will harper still b here if the rumours are true and we get jaaskelainen? we need to make a great team of players that isnt too full of stars, i mean look at chelsea man u n liverpool all great firts teams and average benchs no bench stands out wiv great players wiv the exception of arsenal.
Stefan
Oct 22, 2007 at 1:24 PM
Comment #16Offer Ameobi + 1m for Giles Barnes, great prospect and cover for Milner.
Emanuelson or the polish kid for cover in leftback. Taylor can cover right back. With Smith, Barton, Emre and Butt er are sorted in central midfield. With Viduka, Owen, Smith and Big Andy we´ll be well covered up front. Money should be spent on young prospects… Get rid of the deadweight like Baba, Carr and ameobi.
Rich
Oct 22, 2007 at 1:27 PM
Comment #17Giles barnes would be a good buy i agree wats his favoured position though? dont think its wide right is it?
john stewart
Oct 22, 2007 at 1:30 PM
Comment #18dirk r u mad !!! chelsea, liverpool and man utd bench always got at least £30 million of talent sitting there !!!
The only way to finish higher then the top 4 is buy gettin players with enough quality to concistantly compete with the top players therefore you need top players so the more top players the better i say bring in Deco, arteta, gudjonnsen and a few young full backs and we’ll be able to compete with top 4 deffo !!!
ToonKing
Oct 22, 2007 at 1:37 PM
Comment #19Agree with Stefan Giles Barnes would be excellent but although he does play on the right he’s not a right out winger. realistic choices would be :
Wilhelmsson, Karim Ziani, Valon Behrami, Romeo Castelen.
More optimistic prospects would be : Quaresma, Marek Hamsyk, Camoranesi.
leo
Oct 22, 2007 at 2:00 PM
Comment #20ive only heard of 2 of them players haha.
i agree with john stewart.
get them in and get us up the table.
we dont need to rebuild but we do need to strengthen
Tom_Toon
Oct 22, 2007 at 2:22 PM
Comment #21Valon Behrami will be going to Bayern, Castelen just moved to Hamburg ( he was a good player but only with real speed), Ziani isnt that good and very fragile for the prem, Wilhelmsson is quite back since leaving Anderlecht.
Camoranesi is always injured, Hamsyk is very overrated, Quaresma is god ( iam portugese ;p)
I can tell you Darijo Srna will be the right winger signing in january, watch this space 🙂
sirjasontoon
Oct 22, 2007 at 2:25 PM
Comment #22Tom_Toon well said mister-I don’t really follow the Euro games and players and clearly that chap did not have a clue what he was on about do you think he done any research or was simply picking names out of shoot magazines 🙂
Nice work fella !
Punk Skunk
Oct 22, 2007 at 2:30 PM
Comment #23Lets hurry up & get shot of Ameobi, Carr & Babayaro, then we can start moaning about some of our other players…Yawn!..Maybe we could get God up front, Elvis in CM & Buddha as CB!..
…Howay the Lads!..
ToonKing
Oct 22, 2007 at 3:15 PM
Comment #24@sirjasontoon, i know those players very well and i know what i’m talking about.
@Tom_Tom : Valon Behrami was only linked with Bayern as far as i know there are no guarantees he will sing for them.
Castelen just moved to Hamburg that doesn’t mean he can’t move away in the summer or even January.
Same with Ziani, he just signed but doesn’t mean he can’t leave and i think he
could hadle himself pretty good in the epl.
Agree that Wilhelmsson wasn’t really in form lately but he’s an established player and a constant sweden international who’s currently rotting at Bolton and would be an easy signing.
Camoranesi had an average of 32.2 games each season since he signed with Juve so i don’t see how is he always injured.
Hamsyk is not overrated at all, he’s a superb prospect with a good physique fro the EPL and recently Man Utd are being linked with him in a £12.6million deal.
And i agree that Darijo Srna would be a great signing to although he might cost a bit.
Tom_Toon
Oct 22, 2007 at 3:23 PM
Comment #25Darijo Srna will be the signing.
Tom_Toon
Oct 22, 2007 at 3:24 PM
Comment #26I would like Castelen out of those he’d be my choice.
leo
Oct 22, 2007 at 3:28 PM
Comment #27tom toon, you say quite adamently that dario snra would be the signing?
you dont happen to know something that we all dont?
also is he any good? ive heard of him but never seen him play…
Tom_Toon
Oct 22, 2007 at 3:33 PM
Comment #28Oh ye and Hamsyk is a CM 🙂
Tom_Toon
Oct 22, 2007 at 3:34 PM
Comment #29Nh i dont but im 99% sure BSA is gonna have a good go at getting him in jan.
Pavel Mares may also come as an experienced LB.
ToonKing
Oct 22, 2007 at 3:46 PM
Comment #30Hamsyk is quite good on the wing too.
Mares would be good but he’s a little old, he’s like 31-32.
Tom_Toon
Oct 22, 2007 at 4:02 PM
Comment #31Ye he is 31 but he will be back up and give experience to Jose Enrique.
Bill f
Oct 22, 2007 at 4:58 PM
Comment #32Lots of names being pushed around and I have to admit I know little about a lot of them, could I chuck in Jefferson Farfan, Johnny Heteinga, Crouch and possibly even Anelka.
Tom_Toon
Oct 22, 2007 at 5:19 PM
Comment #33Why do we need more forwards!?! Heitinga is good but we dont need him anymore, i know people say he is a Rb but he is a CB who plays at RB mostly for Holland. He will probably go to chelsea.
Hadji
Oct 22, 2007 at 5:36 PM
Comment #34I don’t think we need Edmilson at all cause he has nothing to prove at Newcastle.
Hamsyk is excellent talent but i think he;ll end up in Man Utd in the summer.
My realistic choise of players which i think we can have at the moment would be
Nakamura,Daniel Carvalho,Gudjohnsen,Srna,Ottl,Cavenaghi,and one of my favorites Pandev,but i think he’ll end up in Bayern for 15 mill pounds in the summer.
Toon Chicken
Oct 22, 2007 at 6:30 PM
Comment #35What about Slobodan Bobbydavrovic – my mate saw him on a demo of football manager evolution 365.4 in Currys window the other day and he said as far as meaningless computer simulated statistics go – there’s no one better.
Graeme
Oct 22, 2007 at 7:04 PM
Comment #36Defo get rid of Carr, Babbyaro, Bambi – past their sell by dates now.
Would love to see Deco, Eto’o, Baptista at the Toon; They would be awesome and bring some real class to the team. Would also give Mike his marketing superstars to go with Owen and Oba. Bring it on LOL.
Tom_Toon
Oct 22, 2007 at 7:19 PM
Comment #37Out – Carr, Babayaro, Ameobi, Pattison
In – RW, LB, RB, Playmaker
Tom_Toon
Oct 22, 2007 at 7:35 PM
Comment #38Not to sure bout Daniel Carvalho but Dudu of CSKA would be brilliant as a playmaker, much better than Daniel Carvalho in that role, although Carvalho is an excellent player but not as sutied to the prem or as good a passer as Dudu.
Steve
Oct 22, 2007 at 10:46 PM
Comment #39I think its a pity we never snapped up Aaron Lennon when we had the chance cos he is a good player and I think him and Milner challenging for right wing would have been good for the club. Rafael van der vaart would be a canny signing. Def need cover for right back as well.
Tom_Toon
Oct 22, 2007 at 11:01 PM
Comment #40One he is either a left wing/forward or an attacking midfielder and he has already stated he wont move to a club that hasnt got regular champions league football.