News today in the Telegraph that Newcastle United will go after relegated Reading’s left back Nicky Shorey.
Nicky Shorey - back from holiday in 2 weeks
The 27-year-old England international has already rejected the offer of a contract extension at Reading, and his contract runs out next June.
At that time Reading will get nothing for him, so Newcastle will bid £2.5M for the player this summer. Shorey has played for England in just a single appearance last summer.
The plan is for Shorey to open talks with Newcastle United in two weeks, when he returns from a family holiday.
Reading have already turned down a £4M bid from West Ham for the full-back in January, but will take a reduced fee, in case they lose him for nothing next summer.
Newcastle were also reported to be interested in the player last summer, and Nicky would be a bargain at £2.5M.
But we do expect other clubs to also be in the mix, since Nicky is a solid left back and would a be a good addition to our squad.
He’s played 261 times for Reading and scored 12 goals.
What do you think about these developments?
Comments welcome.
56 responses so far ↓
1 greg // May 14, 2008 at 10:02
Atrocious form this season. Interest went to his head.
One good goal does not make a season
2 dougnufc // May 14, 2008 at 10:04
Prefer Bridge
3 Danish_Magpie // May 14, 2008 at 10:05
Sign him up! 2.5m for a solid 27 year-old english left back? Bargain. Him and Enrique at left-back would mean that we do not have to worry about that position for a while. Move swiftly Wise/Keegan!
4 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 14, 2008 at 10:06
where have you heard this form ed?
5 Danish_Magpie // May 14, 2008 at 10:07
Bridge is a worse option in my opinion for several reasons:
1) A lot of players seem to have a great deal of trouble motivating themselves when moving a step down from a top-4 club to a ‘lesser’ team. This is somewhat understandable as they are used to big games etc. There are exceptions, but I find this to be the rule..
2) He is EXTREMELY injury-prone
3) He would be more expensive both in terms of wages and in terms of transfer fee
4. Would he even come?
I am not saying I don’t think Bridge is a good player - i do. I just think he’d be a worse signing.
6 Hamas (51times) // May 14, 2008 at 10:09
Hm…probably going to rotate with Enrique rather than being brought in as a first team player I think. He’s not better than Enrique and I think their respective form this season shows it. However Shorey was in a poor Reading side so I suppose you could forgive him somewhat.
7 Ant (Smith's a smoggy) // May 14, 2008 at 10:13
Strick him on the bench. Not a bad price.
Why not?
8 Vitorbarbosa // May 14, 2008 at 10:14
We just need a cover, I don’t think Shorey is too bad on that.
9 Bucks // May 14, 2008 at 10:15
I have to say that, despite playing for a relegated team, Nicky Shorey had a relatively decent season. This is a particularly noteworthy statement considering the number of assists the England international has to his name this season. Indeed, the Reading man created nine goals, which is very impressive for a defender; never mind for a relegated team. Therefore, I believe that £2.5m for a new left-back can’t be too bad at all. Can it?
10 Leo // May 14, 2008 at 10:15
they will compliment eachother, dhorey- attacking crosses
enrique defencive deep balls
that probably doesnt make much sense
11 Bill F // May 14, 2008 at 10:16
From what I have seen of him would prefer Bikey as he can play in more positions. I suppose Shorey wouldn’t be the worst signing we could make so long as he doesn’t turn out to be another one season wonder. There is of course still the Riise option.
12 Robz // May 14, 2008 at 10:23
I wud cry if we signed Riise!
13 Davies // May 14, 2008 at 10:29
I suppose he’s be a decent cover player for Wor Jose. At £2.5m it’s hard to find a reason not to go for him.
14 ELFER // May 14, 2008 at 10:31
Wasn’t my first choice but if we can get him this cheap (and imagine that he would be much cheaper in wages than RIISE or BRIDGE) I would say go!!
Especially becouse we try to find a backup and not first of all a new LB, right? Decent addition!
15 KKN39 // May 14, 2008 at 10:34
agree - Shorey better than Bridge, not as a player in general sense, but as a player for KK, NUFC, and competitor for Jose Enrique. no doubt Bridge is more classy at his peak. but Shorey is a year younger, cheaper in wage, more hungry for success, less injury-prone, and more importantly why do we need one more reject from chelski after Baba, Duff and Geremi? they all come at 27 or 28 and they all suck (well, some worse than the others …)
16 stk // May 14, 2008 at 10:40
veloso can play at centre and left back aswell as defensive midfield, we have to snap him up quick otherwise keegan’s pesimistic outlook may continue for years to come.
17 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 14, 2008 at 10:41
i have just been told by my friend that us and man utd have had offers taking into consideration from sporting for players, not believed to be the same player, this is what reports in portugal are suggesting, anyone else heard anything, personally i think we are aftr veloso and man u after moutinho
18 geordie nick // May 14, 2008 at 10:45
worth a punt at 2.5mil, not a very good season this season but was playing in a very poor team this year, hopefully hell get lasts seasons form back, but for that cheap u cant go wrong really
19 stk // May 14, 2008 at 10:47
good news!
20 liamtoonbirchy // May 14, 2008 at 10:47
keep up the portugal reports g gerrard, is veloso going to euro 2008? if so we need to sign him quick
21 Nick Dryden // May 14, 2008 at 10:50
Edgar can cover Enrique left back. I’ve never seen anyone play better against Ronaldo in that position.
Shorey is a bit of a jouneyman whose form dipped alarmingly and he will want to be first choice and he’s not as good as Enrique.
22 liamtoonbirchy // May 14, 2008 at 10:50
i like the idea of looking at relegated clubs especially now there will be 7 subs on the bench.
players like shorey, bikey, barnes, larsson, de ridder, muamba, kapo, mcfadden and kitson a few of them would be good.
Shorey and Mcfadden would be my pick
23 Nick Dryden // May 14, 2008 at 10:53
If cherry picking relegation teams, there really is only Larrson, Muamba (wrong spelling) and Zarate (on loan) of any real quality.
24 Robz // May 14, 2008 at 10:56
I totally agree with you Nick Dryden! Enrique was amazing vs. Ronaldo! He didnt get past him once. Enrique is top notch! Shorey would be a good backup in case he gets injured.
25 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 14, 2008 at 11:00
yes also i would love to see muamba in our side. i think he is a great young player. i think we could do some damage to alot of teams if we mixed our big africans and players with muamba, the vision of veloso, flair sucha as bentley, arshavin, zarate, the pace of oba, strength in either dukes or gomis, and just the allround greatness of michael owen
26 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 14, 2008 at 11:01
is it just me but i think bikey is awfull
27 Bill F // May 14, 2008 at 11:20
Goerdie I must admit I havn’t seen that much of him but what I saw thought he looked a decent player who could play anywhere in defence. Obviously we all see different virtues in players, for example I still can’t see how anyone can rate Dunne as a good buy for us but if turns out I am wrong I will be happy to stick my hand up and say so.
28 Eric // May 14, 2008 at 12:06
We need a left back for cover or to rotate. Shorey could fill that role. Was in Reading a little while ago.
How on earth can he want to stay there? KK may get more out of Shorey and he coped reasonably well with the England squad?
29 geordie in taipei // May 14, 2008 at 12:09
I think Enrique is very good and still improving, so whether is be Shorey, Bridge or Riise - who cares they all decent back up and they decent players themselves - will create good competition which i hope will only push Enrique to get even better !
30 Whumpie // May 14, 2008 at 12:16
We’ve seen how good he can be, and we have the one manager you can count on to get him to his best consistently. The transfer fee (if it’s right) is a steal - so if he can come without too huge a wage, I think he’d be a great buy.
Also, his skills are very different to Enrique - much more a Keegan-type player, with good attacking runs, head up, and a decent cross. Not such a bull at the back, but that’s what KK needs - different players for different matches.
31 CRAIGG // May 14, 2008 at 12:27
I cant get this negativity towards Dunne and now Shorey, They are very good premiership players at the right ages that we need 27-28 year old, In positions that we lack numbers in
But im sure theres left backs on youtube that can juggle the ball on their bellends who are apparently better.
ED Shorey has played twice for England both at Wembley against Brazil and Germany.
32 emantoon // May 14, 2008 at 13:13
i like his crossing technique. one of the best in epl.
very useful for dead ball situation
sign him!
33 iain // May 14, 2008 at 13:20
If cherry picking relegation teams, there really is only Larrson, Muamba (wrong spelling) and Zarate (on loan) of any real quality.
thats true to an extent, but its not like were trying to replace rooney and ronaldo.
were talking about replacements for smith/shola who are utter crap and replacements for emre who may be quality but never plays, as for lb id say just about anyone is better than the current situation of having no back up left back.it seems for the last 3 years left back has been deemed an unecessary position for nufc until we got enrique.
34 Obafan // May 14, 2008 at 13:38
Would be happy with Shorey as LB. He and Enrique will have tough competition to get the starting spot, which is not only good for them but also for the team. They both have other skills and I think KK wants to have a choice of who he will play as LB according to his tactical plan.
1. If he wants to play an attacking side I think it will be better to play Shorey; he has got good runs, good crossing and can give the last pass.
2. If he wants to play defensively KK will pick Enrique cause he is a very good defender, but his attacking skills need to be developed much more.
It would be good to have that choice, but we don’t know how much truth is in it. So I will try
to only get excited whenever a player is really presented in a black and white shirt.
35 figsdad // May 14, 2008 at 13:45
indeed we carnt be picky and its a boost to our squad…
36 valle // May 14, 2008 at 15:05
The rumor that Bridge is injury prone is unfair… He is just in a Chelsea team where he plays second fiddle to Cole… As a matter of fact, Bridge played his last season in Southhampton without missing a second before he moved to Chelsea (As far as i remember that was the record that year).
37 ende // May 14, 2008 at 15:06
jose/shorey combo would be very welcome.
Though, imo, we should look for fullbacks who are in that age range but who can also cover at CB.. makes it a lot easier to argue for a spot for them on the bench.
38 valle // May 14, 2008 at 15:15
Your kiddin yourselves if you think a player like Shorey or Bridge will be backup for Enrique… Im glad you like Enrique, but really people, you must be able to see that he’s not THAT GOOD… Enrique would be the backup player and rightly so!, his forward play is quite good, but his defensive play is leaving allot to be desired.
39 chuck // May 14, 2008 at 15:27
One prior commentator complained about 28-29 year olds being bought, think about it, these are seasoned pro`s who can hold the fort while our Kadars and Tozers, Edgars et all are developing.
Besides they come cheap, which allows for the one or two Velosos or Gomis`s to be added each year.
It`s crazy to think the first team can be fully stocked by players coming through the youth system and never have to buy big , look at Arsenal and Man. U. But by the selective buying of the likes of Kadar etc. @ an affordable price certainly helps and is a policy that should be continued.
40 valle // May 14, 2008 at 15:47
I 2nd that!
Worked fine to sign Beye, tho he was 30 i reckon.
41 Toon_Ksk // May 14, 2008 at 15:59
He is not very good. Seen him lost concentration on some occasions. At the same time, I believe he is smart enough to improve.
42 scott9 // May 14, 2008 at 16:37
would be a great solid buy alot better then riise in my opinion
43 spen27 // May 14, 2008 at 16:43
bridge is not much better thn shorey and bridge is a sick note. i still think enrique should be 1st team though its only his passing that lets him down but that will come and if were picking up from the teams that dropped giles barnes should be snapped up imagine a kieren dyre that was fit 9 times out of 10
44 dan // May 14, 2008 at 16:54
Geordie Gerrard - lol i would be gutted if I was a Sporting fan and ManUre and NUFC had offers considered for two of the best young promising players. I think if we are to compete in the top half nxt season we will have to buy players like this and not bring in cheap squad players like Diane. At 25 he is simply not good enough. The top 4 (well 3) have proved for years now that you have to spend money on young tallented players. If ashley spends big this summer he might only have to buy one player nxt time. We have players like Kadar coming through but that wont help us nxt season. Saddly niether will Carrol IMO.
45 Newcastle United. // May 14, 2008 at 18:12
He can defend and attack. English which always helps. Would be a great buy at 2.5 millions. Go for it!
46 Punk Skunk // May 14, 2008 at 18:35
Gotta say, Shorey seems just the sort of player KK would buy & then turn into something good…i.e. Bez, Lee, Cole etc, etc!..
…Knowarra’mean?..
47 Elliott // May 14, 2008 at 20:20
I’d sign him for the quality of his crossing.
48 geordie nick // May 14, 2008 at 20:27
why is everyone givin an opinion who should be first choice if we do buy him, surely whoever is in the best form at the time should be first choice, no body know how well any one of them will be playing next season, players should be picked on form not by saying ‘i like enrique i think he should be first choice left back next season’.
49 Danny // May 14, 2008 at 20:51
Would be good back up….get it done kev!
50 cc // May 14, 2008 at 21:34
I’m watching the UEFA cup final right this second, and think we need to go for Arshavin! Also maybe Tymoschuk… Shorey for less than £4 million is good business, would be happy with him or Riise. Anybody worth nabbing from Birmingham (other than Zarate)?
51 geordie nick // May 14, 2008 at 21:46
sebastian larsson
52 richie // May 14, 2008 at 23:08
sebastian larrsson
53 Toon Down Under // May 15, 2008 at 4:10
Shorey would be a decent buy at $2.5 mil. But there are plenty of unknown LB in South America that English clubs don’t even look at. Look at Daniel Alves from Sevilla, he was a nobody in Brazil, & look now. Newcastle should start to look outside the square! More over, how poor was the Newcastle Academy in that youth tournament! Newcastle has to get their act together in that department.
54 Oba // May 15, 2008 at 6:35
He would be a great addition to our squad. My team next season:
GK: Given/Harps
Def: Shorey, Sol, Taylor, Beye
Mid: Bullard, Elano, Barton
Playmaker: Owen
Striker: Martins, Diane
Subs: Butt, Geremi, Duff, Viduka, Carroll, Faye, Dunne, Riise, Enrique
All players I named are well adapted to English football and most importantly they are not difficult to get. Only Elano and Dianne will cost us more than 10m. With this, I’m sure we will back to top 5 or even overtake Gunners/Liv for 4th!
OUT: Cacapa - 2m, Emre - 5m, Smith - 5m, Zoggy - 7m
55 Robz // May 15, 2008 at 7:53
Really, i’m just repeating myself.. but for the love of god, dont ever sign Riise.
He’s had a terrible season, and he’s way to cocky. He thinks he can shoot from 45 metres, and dribble like Ronaldo. But really, he is the one in the premier league this season with the most shots, and no goals. He’s scored 2 own goals. Enough said?
Again, I would really cry if we signed him!
56 Jayden // May 15, 2008 at 11:16
He would be our best signing since Nobby in terms of a bargain. Sign him up Kev!
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