Newcastle United are reported to be ready to challenge Middlesbrough for Reading’s central midfielder James Harper.
James Harper - central midfielder for Reading
Middlesbrough are also pursuing former Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell, now at Chelsea, but it appears that Aston Villa are favorites to sign Sidwell and Middlebrough have therefore turned their attentions to Harper.
While Harper is a good and experienced player, having played 275 times for Reading (24 goals), we’d be surprised if Kevin Keegan was really interested in the player.
Kevin has already said he’d prefer to sign players in the summer with proven Premiership experience and James certainly has that.
The central midfield player, who was born in Chelmsford and is 27 years old, is said to have a clause in his contract that allows him to leave Reading, now they have been relegated.
Reports today say he wants to take that option.
Harper, not surprisingly, wants to stay in the Premier League, and the transfer fee is said to be around £5m.
James started his football career at the Arsenal Academy (like Sidwell) but moved to Reading in 2001, where he’s been ever since.
We’re not sure Harper is the type of signing Newcastle need to make in central midfield, which is the engine room of the side.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
29 responses so far ↓
1 NUFCFAN // May 26, 2008 at 10:05
so one minute linked with top players around Europe - next players who got relegated.
2 Reformed_Mumbler // May 26, 2008 at 10:10
What reports and where are they from?
3 ELFER // May 26, 2008 at 10:10
I think too this is only a “follow up” becouse we are interested in former (now chelski) reading player SIDWELL…wouldn’t make much sense that signing!
4 Ben_BKK // May 26, 2008 at 10:12
He seems to play best against Liverpool, he scored screamers in Reading’s last couple of matches against them if I remember correctly…
5 Geordie Gerrard7 // May 26, 2008 at 10:17
HORRIBLE PLAYER, AWFULL
6 Whitey // May 26, 2008 at 10:21
I would prefer we sign Kevin Doyle then him.
7 Hadji // May 26, 2008 at 10:22
Wow..Yipeee………Whatever.
8 Mick G // May 26, 2008 at 10:34
Someone phone an ambulance, my pulse is beginning to race to rapidly.
9 9 Shearer // May 26, 2008 at 11:02
Are these the top 4-5 players we are looking for what is wrong wit us Butt is better than him even at 33 or Barton on jail.
10 Leo // May 26, 2008 at 11:07
hes a hard working player, same style as lee bowyer without the bad sides
likes to get into the box at the last minute. would be a decent signing as a squad player, remember we have a small squad as it is
11 D B F // May 26, 2008 at 11:16
not the type of signings i wud expect or want, but he scores a lot more goals than any of our midfielders so tht one plus, but certainly wudnt excite me in the slightest
12 sirjasontoon // May 26, 2008 at 11:19
I can see us making these type of signings all summer, Piss poor and cheap as chips.
Ashley just does not want to back his manager.
13 toonarmy08 // May 26, 2008 at 11:28
Absolute shite ,no way are we in 4 this guy.KK said we have the squad players already ,we just need the 4-5 top players (if poss) to have a strong squad.Let the smogs have him!
14 Spot The Zeba // May 26, 2008 at 11:29
Average player at best.
15 scott9 // May 26, 2008 at 12:08
i think he would be a great signing
16 Tom_Toon // May 26, 2008 at 12:08
5 mil for James Harper???????? Are you havin’ a lafffffffffffffffffffffff. You could buy an eastern european superstar for that
17 Singa_toon // May 26, 2008 at 12:10
Cannot be bothered with who we are linked even if we were linked with a swoop for lionel messi i couldnt care less…. no offense ed… Let me know when we have actually signed a player.
18 Bill F // May 26, 2008 at 12:20
Enn.. bugg*r it I’m to bored to say it.
19 Spyro // May 26, 2008 at 12:35
he just runs around like a headless chicken
20 The Entertainers // May 26, 2008 at 12:53
Harper is a half decent player for Reading, but ended up getting relegated! I agree with most comments, squad player at best. But we really need to be looking for 1st team players, i think we need 4 at least. A big striker (Gomez), left winger / creative player (Arda), centre back (Cuellar) and defensive midfielder (plently in France at the mo’). If there are still pennies left in pot we need cover at RB, LB & CM
21 Jóhann // May 26, 2008 at 13:04
Very poor player. Would be a terrible signing.
22 greg // May 26, 2008 at 13:10
Please. God. No.
23 lee caan // May 26, 2008 at 13:28
i am a steward at reading fc and i hav 2 say that harper is a very underated player. he would score more goals den ne central midfield players we have and has terrific pace jus wtch his goal against liverpool. i tink he would be a decent signing.
24 Tom_Toon // May 26, 2008 at 13:31
He’d be ok for 1 million. But 5 million is ridiculous. Benfica bought Binya for 300k.
25 Punk Skunk // May 26, 2008 at 14:09
£1/2m squad player…Next!..
26 Phil P // May 26, 2008 at 14:13
why cant he wear shirts that fit him.
27 nightfall // May 26, 2008 at 14:32
if smith was 6m, then harper is 20m
28 Punk Skunk // May 26, 2008 at 16:08
& at smiths current strike rate…It’s gonna take him about 100 years to match harper!..
29 ksmit // May 26, 2008 at 21:09
James Harper….
Already have a James Milner and Steven Harper…. too much…
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