Kevin Keegan says that he needs probably just four new players to round out his squad.
Andrei Arshavin – Russian captain would be great acquisition
Although we’re not yet safe from relegation we’ll allow ourselves today to look forward to who those players may be that are added to our squad in the summer.
If there are going to be four new players we think they will be a center-back, left back, midfield player and striker.
So let’s have a look at who’s available in each position and who would be the best one to bring in. We of course need your input on this and maybe Kevin can get a few tips from you. 😀
For left back there seem to be a number of very good and experienced PL players available that will fight it out with Jose Enrique next season.
Wayne Bridge, Nicky Shorey and John Arne Riise are three we have already been linked with.
Wayne Bridge of Chelsea
We would plump for Wayne Bridge. We’ve wanted Bridge at Newcastle for some time now and Bobby Robson had an £8M bid for him turned down when he was still at Southampton. We could probably get him for around £5M. So that’s one down and three to go.
For center-back there are a number of players who seem available.
Bayern Munich’s 6′ 5″ Daniel Van Buyton and Richard Dunne both played for Kevin while he was manager at Manchester City and there seems big support for Vincent Kompany, the 6’3â€Belgian center-back currently playing for Hamburg. Vincent turns 22 next week. Also Wes Brown of Manchester United is available as a free agent, and has lots of good experience.
Wes Brown of Manchester United
Of these we’d have to bring in Wes Brown, just because he’s a free agent and a proven Premier league player, but we also like Kompany a lot.
As far as midfield is concerned there are some good players, but we’re not at all sure who we could actually get. We’ve been linked with Wallsend local boy Michael Carrick of Manchester United and the former Arsenal star Jose Reye has also been mentioned as a possible capture.
We’ve also been linked with Deco of Barcelona and a popular choice would be Russian captain Andrei Arshavin. We’d love it if we can get Carrick but failing that we’d be very happy with Andrei Arshavin, who looks an excellent player. We think around £8M will get him.
We’ve been linked with many strikers. Dean Ashton, Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Dirk Kuyt, Australian Scott MacDonald, Mauro Zarate, currently on loan at Birmingham. Javier Saviola of Real Madrid and Eidur Gudjohnsen of Barcelona are another two we have been linked with. There’s a lot of very good strikers available there.
Mauro Zarate on loan at Birmingham City from Al-Sadd
Of those we’d be happy with Darren Bent or 21 year-old Mauro Zarate, who seems to be proving he can score goals in the Premier league for Birmingham City. We’ll go for Maur0 Zarate, and it looks like we may have a chance with the player since Birmingham might find it hard to pay £10M for him.
So that’s our fairly quick pick and yes we know, we’ve missed out a few others who we could bring in.
We think Carr, Rozehnal, Ameobi and probably Ramage are on their way out and we’d replace them with Bridge, Brown, Arshavin and Zarate.
They would cost around £22M but we’d probably be able to get £5M for Ramage and Ameobi, so that’s a net outlay of around £18M, which doesn’t seem too bad. We can certainly afford that and the squad will be vastly improved.
Let’s know what you would do in the summer.
Comments very welcome.
144 comments so far
Tom_Toon
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Comment #1Arshavin defintely.
Alex of Chelsea for CB nd i think we need a RB more as we have Edgar for cover.
Seitaridis for RB.
Blaszczykowski as a winger.
A big, strong but pacey striker like Cisse.
And maybe even a DM like Tymoschuk.
gonufc
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Comment #2What about Diego of Werder Bremen? We were linked with him for a while in the summer and although unlikely we should definately try for him. Also, please not Wes Brown, i think he looks alright with great players around him, but he is almost always the weak link in the Man u defence, much rather go for someone else, even if they are a gamble like Kompany.
Faustino
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Comment #3Personally I’d prefer Shorey and Van Buyten to Bridge and Brown.
Bridge hasn’t been consistent in any sense for so long now and I really don’t rate him [I also perosnally blame him for england losing to Croatia.] Brown as good as his form may be at the moment, [Fergie is consistently picking him at the mo.] I just don’t see him as the player we need to bolster defenses.
Plus, with both of these players come the stigma of playing for one of the ‘top 3’ clubs and the ‘taking a step down’ attitude that it hsa taken Butt 3 years to get over and something I beleive has affected Smith. I really believe these players would see coming to SJP as semi-retirement.
Agree about Arshavin but still with me the juries out about what, if any kind of striker we will need to buy. If the front 3 carry on the way they are and Carrol continues to come of the bench and gain experience I think it could be counter proudctive for KK to do the obvious NUFC trick and buy a new possible superstar striker. It may un balance all the good work he’s done with Martins, Owen and Viduka.
Brenz
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Comment #4£5million for Ramage and Shola ahahahahhahahahahahaaha…!
nightfall
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Comment #5dunne/garay
vieira/carrick
nasri/ribery
gomis/berbatov/luis fabiano
Ian_McP
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Comment #6In my opinion:-
Arshavin – absolutely YES, but does he speak good english? I can’t imagine very good russian being spoken around the training ground atm.
Brown – yes, good experience, apart from only joining for the money.
Bridge – YES, like his play alot
Not too sure about zararte, tbh I haven’t seen that much of him. I would prefer Gomis or Bent. I also think Heskey and Sibierski would be two very strong and relatively cheap additions.
Jimmie
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Comment #7If Keegan get £50 mil as some rumour says, I would rather see Keegan go for Diego from Werder Bremen, Van der Vaart and Kompany from Hamburg, Elmander from Toulouse and maybe Bridge as competition for Enriques leftback spot
Knightbobmoncur
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Comment #8if indeed we did for the sake of argument purchase the players mentioned by ed, and sell the players mentioned by ed, this would mean 4 in 4 out. Wasnt it KK who stated when he arrived that he was very surprised by the small size of his squad ?? We would need at least another 2 players if we got rid of four i am reckoning.
I think it is also questionable whether the likes of Viduka, Smith and Duff will be at the club come september!!
I think KK is just hedging his bets currently, not trying to get people to excited whilst not denting the confidence of his current squad.
I expect ALOT of changes in the summer, not just 4!!!!!!!
HeronMag
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:43 AM
Comment #9Can’t agree with some of your choices Ed. Bridge is a top player, no questions. Brown has never impressed me as much as Van Buyten did at City and Zarate looks good but doesn’t have the power of Gomis. We need some punch up front to replace an ageing Viduka. I haven’t seen enough of Arshavin to judge.
Saying that the toon always welcome’s new players with open arms so I’d give them all support, whoever we sign.
JR
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:48 AM
Comment #10Does this website endorse Arshavin or something? This is about the 4th time he’s been at the top of one of these lists. You might as well have just used the same list you used last summer, or winter. Someone’s been playing football manager a bit too much.
Kieran hatten
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Comment #11Arshavin- IF we could buy this player i strongly recommend him…. after watching his performance against Leuverkuesn i think he would slot in just nicely and looks like a great player for attacking style football….. did anyone watch the rangers game last night.. Keegan and McDermott were present anybody have a monkeys who they were scouting? possibly Barry Ferguson?
ginkoh
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:54 AM
Comment #12Brown is so average player. He look good because he is in Champion team. i can see player who same standard as him even in lower division.
ObaFan2
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:54 AM
Comment #13I don’t get it with Wes Brown, he’s the worst player in an excellent team but somehow he played for England too……….. mind you so did Smith!!!!!!!!!!
Arshavin yes
Bridge yes maybe but I like Enrique as no.1 LB
Zarate is highly rated by many.
Tom_Toon
Apr 4, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Comment #14Kieran it was Carlos Cuellar he was scouting.
Kash
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Comment #15To be honest, I think Duff maybe leaving in the summer too but not sure about N’Zogbia. Either way we would need a couple more wingers. Possibly Diouf and someone else maybe McGeady? But I agree with the players you’ve mentioned Ed apart from Zarate, and these players will be in addition.
The striker we should sign is Cardozo of Benfica. Completeyly the perfect player to play alongside any of Martins, Owen or Viduka or even on his own. Would be a handful for any defence!
Zx
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:01 AM
Comment #16Zarate is overpriced…overhyped…and probably over-rated.
Whatever you guys are saying are just fantasy talk.
In the end, who does the scouting?
Who makes the recommendations?
And finally who makes the decision?
Don’t get carried away.
joel
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:02 AM
Comment #17sorry ed harrison but may i surgest people who we have been offfically been in contact with and is most likely (i was on my internet yesterday for 4 hours) these are the most likley players
Batefimbi Gomis (number one target-next Drobga.)
Luis Fabiano (offically on sites-linked with wise and ect.)
Aaron Lennon (in lost of papers)
Jose Antonio Reyes (sky sports )
So ed harrison can your make a new blog about these people. Please Please
NUFCFAN
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Comment #18i honestly believe that the striker would need to be something pretty special as like mentioned earlier it will counter productive to Andy Carrol – who seems to be doing well for England.
So i would prefer to buy more and more young players, strikers, playermakers and loan them out.
but in terms of centre backs do like the idea of kompany big and skillful – however hasnt keegan just stated that the problem was the lack of cohesion i.e the language barrier.
same as the russian guy – seems great but dont know much about him, and is there nobody else. am not a fan of signing deco – too old and too much money – its got to be players needing to turn their career around or up and coming.
to turn this club around means that we need to stop the big last paycheck and bring in the hungry youth, or europeans looking to prove themselves
Tom_Toon
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:08 AM
Comment #19Kash – Cardozo isnt ready yet. Trust me Benfica is my second team. When he came we thought he’d be great and it was said he’d be a great fox n the box, but he hasnt been.
Tom_Toon
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Comment #20We dont want Deco either, he has been shocking for Portugal lately.
NUFCFAN
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:11 AM
Comment #21we should use that sevilla link
deigo capel – get rid of duff then there is too young players on the left who attack players, nzogbia and capel. – sell duff to sunderland for there Irish continjent. Would still get 5 mill and he’s not the same player
bring in bentley to compete with milner
fabiano would probaly be like the old tino – but where does this put the current formation?
Tom_Toon
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:13 AM
Comment #22Fabiano like the old Tino? fabiano is lazy.
No chance in Capel or probably Bentley.
Blazsczykowski all the wsy.
Geordie Gerrard7
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:14 AM
Comment #23no deco, no cardoz, i havent seen gomis and im sure not many others have, everyone is just going by he has been labbled the next drogba. remember a lad called neil mellor?? he was labelled the new rooney haha
Michael
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:14 AM
Comment #24With the sudden upturn in performance, if we can win some more games in a similar fashion as we have the last two, something tells me a bit os inexperience from Ashley may rear it’s ugly head and he may well decide he does not really have to splash the cash any more.
Consider, the fans are frustrated, you have played your Joker card and bought time with Keegan. How now to ease the tensions from the fans but to tacitly suggest a war chest of £50million in the summer. He knows very well that if Keegan can get this team playing top 10 football next season, he will not release 50Million and he will start talking about taking time to build Rome. Business people are excesively savy at saving face in the glare of bad times and taking it back in that of good times or rather better times.
To be concise, I cannot see Ashley providing 50 million with out Keegan having to sell massively. Mabey about £15 -20 million and the rest will need to come from selling the likes of Milner £8 – 10, Duff £ 7 , Martins £ 12-15
Dragoner
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Comment #25first of all zarate will cost around 15mill not 10, secondly, we can do much better than Brown and Bridge
Dragoner
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:16 AM
Comment #26Also, we have not chance of diego, werder bremen want to keep him, plus arsenal are interested
Loonytoon
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Comment #27some of the names mentioned above are quality signings who would improve the team while also adding depth to the squad…what we are failing to remember is that we have some extremely talented youngsters that have been brought to the club..I went to watch the reserves on Monday at St James and was extremely impressed with what was on show…
Lua Lua : up against Gary Neville..now the Manc moaner has been out a while however he is still a quality defender…Lua Lua left him on his backside on more than one occasion..
Carroll : Handful as per…Good backup for Viduka if we are to play 4.3.3 more often than not.great in the air and has a crackinmg left foot.
Baheng : Bit rough round the edges but loads of potential. Pace, trickery and good movement very evident.
Kadar : Played left back and looked very good on the ball. tall, good in the tackle, sent Manure right winger for a pie with a lovely shimmy.
Tozer : plyed centre half and never looked in trouble at any time…tall and quick..defo one for the not too distant future…
Zamblera : didnt get on but for a teenager he has the physique to compete in the prem…watched him at half time ping shot after shot from 30 yards plus into the gallowgate net…and he wasnt tapping them either!!!!!
Godsmark: didnt play on Mon but from what I have seen of the little fella, he is an outstanding talent. One of the quickest players I have witnessed but he also has a finish in his locker…can play wide right or upfront and has just been rewarded with a pro contract..defo one for the near future…
Take the boyos mentioned above and add a touch of experience to the squad and we are l;ooking good to challenge for phase 1 which is top 6… For me I would add Wes Brown or Sol Cambell (Massive amounts of experience and as long as he has pace to cover around him he will be fine) as cb’s
Carrick (The boy showed on Tuesday in Rome what a top player he is…anyone unsure of the boy, watch a re run of the game and watch the way he dictates the play)
Riise ( He can play full back or left mid and is a cracking player)
Gomis (pace, strength, finish, good in the air, powerful…take Drogba and minus 5 years )
I am sure people have their own take on who kk should bring in…What is for certain is that whoever we bring in will be quality and ensure exciting times ahead….howay the lads 🙂
Loonytoon
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Comment #28Michael : Get back on that mackem site you have just come off….15 to 20 million???????????????????????????????? we have no debt therefore 30 mill tv coin…season tickets another 30 million…prize money from this years prem finish…..merchandise…blah blah blah….You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned savvy…do you hear man u saying how much they have to spend? no cos when a club states that the price of players go up accordingly…if Keegan want a player, Mr Ashley will spend accordingly to get him….Only stupidly daft clubs let the press know how much they have to spend…anyone see Roy Keanes interview earlier in the week??? nuff said…
Hammy
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Comment #29Ashley is not dumb…..everyone scoffed at Real Madrid going for Beckham yet they recouped the entire transfer fee from merchandising alone.
A team not winning = no shirt sales, little match day revenue and half empty grounds for cup matches.
A winning team = shirt sales, increased matchday turnover and full grounds for every game.
No. 1 business rule. You have to speculate to accumulate.
Expect to see the colour of Ashley’s bucks come the summer….
NUFCFAN
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Comment #30tom toon
wasnt tino lazy?!!
Tom_Toon
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Comment #31Spose, but i mean that in a sense Fabiano wont take on people like Tino. Fabiano is direct.
Eric
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Comment #32Interesting choices. We are supposedly considering four. That means we need a list of eight. Thus: Riise/Bridge: Kompany/Van Buyten: Carrick/Arshavin: Gomis/Zarate. Van Buyten will be about 31 next season. The others are younger though Bridge will be about 29. We need a balance between our developing youngsters and the older players we have got and may keep.
NUFCFAN
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Comment #33are you saying that you wouldnt take him on then?
Tom_Toon
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Comment #34Riise, id rather wnk off a dog.
Tom_Toon
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Comment #35NUFCFAN – Fabiano is a flop waiting to happen.
Geordie Gerrard7
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Comment #36even if tino was lazy, he could walk around a pitch and still beat every single defender, he was class!!
Ross
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Comment #37i hope KK was looking at cuellar at the rangers game last night, and not any other outfield players.
i’m sure some of them are quite good, but theyre not the most attacking team in the world are they.
they’re like us under fat sam..just..a little less attacking.
Geordie Gerrard7
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Comment #38i like fabiano alot this season, but he is 27 getting older, mAybe could be a flop, butttttt at 11 million, that is abit of a snip. if he is bad, im sure the merchandising value of him is still great.
my cousin lives in seville and says he is not much liked around there though, they all think he is arrogant, abit like kieron “serious injury every year” dyer
NUFCFAN
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Comment #39who would be your choice of players then
Tom_Toon
Apr 4, 2008 at 11:42 AM
Comment #40NUFCFAN – Read comment 1.
GeordieGerrard – He’s also an alcoholic and gets in a few fights. Just a prck.