There is news all over this morning, that Newcastle United are ready to make a £6M bid for Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor, if indeed Shay Given ends up at Arsenal.
Shay Given - not certain to move to Arsenal
The Scotland international (he’s played once for Scotland last year) is seen as the ideal replacement for Shay Given should Newcastle’s long-serving Irish star leave for long time admirers, Arsenal.
The fee is said to be £6M for the Scot, which seems high for a player of McGregor’s level and caliber.
Allan McGregor - played for Rangers 70 times
He was on loan from Rangers from 2004 until 2006 at St. Johnstone and Dunfermline, and has played just 70 times for the Scottish club, since he joined them as a 16 year old, back in 1998.
Apparently, last year he had an excellent season at Ibrox, as Glasgow Rangers went for honors in four different competitions.
But Given’s had about 10 great seasons at Newcastle, and that’s in the Premier league, the world’s best league.
The fee we are to get for Given seems to be around £5M at best, and this boy McGregor will need to be very good to oust Steve Harper from the Newcastle goal.
We don’t think losing Given and having to pay £1M net, is a good deal for Newcastle on the goalkeeper front, and be left with Harper and McGregor.
Don’t forget we have two very good 20 year-old keepers in Fraser Forster and Dutchman Tim Krul waiting in the wings. Surely they could back up Steve Harper next year, if Given left.
But we’d rather have Given and Harper fight it out for the first team spot next season, and use that £1M to bring in another up and coming youngster.
What are we missing here?
Comments welcome.
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40 responses so far ↓
1 dougnufc // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:06
If we are getting a new goalkeeper, I believe that Krul and Forster will be wasted in Newcastle.
However if we are really gonna get a new keeper, we should get Rene Adler
2 wilko // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:09
I don’t understand - we are thinking of letting a great goalkeeper go whilst giving ourselves work to do to get in an unknown - to -us replacement - where’s the logic in that ?? Am I missing soemthing or is this another strange NUFC development in the summer activity
3 Hate Prawn Sandwiches // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:20
if Given does go, hope not! we should give Krul and Forster a chance both good cover!
4 Sav // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:24
Selling Papers.
5 Ross // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:24
Allan Mcgrer0r is an excellent goalkeeper, i just dont want to see shay leave.
6 dick // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:26
agree with wilko , a bit concerned about paying for tickets for three seasons where does money go if ashley sells up, will be very little left for new management. things dont seem right to me
7 Dunedin // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:27
Given is not what he was. He really played very poorly the last number of games for us.However, I think we have much more critical priorities…creative midfielder , left back and experienced and dominant centre back to name but a few.
8 Marat18 // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:28
McGregor? is it this young Jedi from StarWars?
let the force be with NUFC!
9 Ericles // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:33
Press inspired mumbo jumbo. We need both Steve and Shay for the first team campaign. And we need Forster and Krul for backup and the Reserve XI campaign. The way the transfer in saga is going all four will be playing in the Premier side anyway!
10 ToonKing // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:34
McGregor is a quality keeper, would be a bad replacement at all, Shay has lost his magic…
11 CRAIGG // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:43
Shay hasnt lost anything, He’s fighting fit again and he will piss on any goalkeeper we could bring in
12 James // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:44
I actually think the problem is that Harper and Given are both too good to be number twos
So one of them has to leave. They each deserve to be the number one at whatever club they are at.
13 Nick Dryden // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:45
6m on a scottish keeper would be madness. Just pocket the money for Given and have Krul / Forster as back up. Similarly take 7M for Milner but certainly don’t include Pennant in the deal.
14 micepie // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:49
If this is our first signing of the summer…a complete waste of time and money. It’ll probably make no difference to our prospects.
15 craig chisholm // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:49
Sell everyone as fast as possbile with no replacements and no contract disputes resolved. you lot should take it to NUFC direct. log onto the website and start sending in emails… i have started. we are the ones after all that make the club… they should know that the fans can also break it too..get the emails in lads. as for mort, wise and all those other fcuk ups……sack every last one of them. all a bunch of wankers. its no good having a recruitmant team that everyone frigging hates and have no understanding and passion for newcastle to start with. give it to shearer or gary speed or anyone other than those three wise monkeys. and please dont anyone say, hey cool ya jets… jets my arse, we are a shambles and the sooner we all wake up to that the sooner we can apply pressure to the club. give it a voice lads, they will listen.
16 Rich // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:54
Excellent keep er, is he better than shay though?? im not so sure so im on the fence on this one. Given is a top keeper but as some have pointed out i dont think he will be ever as good as he once was
17 Davies // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:07
Congratulations Craig Chisolm, you react badly to everything you read. Have a doughnut!
18 true // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:12
Given dosent have the gut to fight for his place
19 Bill F Splash the Cash Ash // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:12
What the, dumbfounded, lost for words, speechless, gobsmacked, astonished, perplexed, why, pointless, stupid, waste of time and money.
20 Andy C // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:14
i think that possibly what were missing is that the whole thing is total bollocks.
Cool ya jets Chisholm, i do agree with you though that there should be someone with a natural affiliation with the area and club on that recruitent team.
21 Graeme // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:16
This makes as much sense as all the other reported rumours over the last few weeks. Why would you sell Shay for this muppet??
It doesnt improve a thing on the playing front; he is certainly no better than what we have already.
22 Whumpie // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:20
Wow, Craig - I must get you along to my next party. You’re just such a fun, easy-going type of guy!
I honestly think everyone from Ashley down has all of this sorted, mapped out and working very well. All they’ve done is stop pandering to the press and the doom merchants (Craig) and when they have everything lined up, all will be revealed.
I also believe:
1. Mort was always going to be leaving around now.
2. Wisey and co are doing some great business right now - but keeping it under wraps
3. As soon as KK is back to approve them, the transfers will be there.
4. In the mean time, the press will continue to print totally speculative tripe, and people like Craig will continue to take it seriously.
Cool yer jets, people.
23 mikeygd // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:28
If we do sell Given i dont think we need to replace him as we have so much talent in this area.
24 bailey // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:30
Said it before and repeat: Being an Anorak I will obviously trawl the websites re transfer news but until I hear KK add his contribution/input or a transfer is signed and sealed by the Board I will treat the rumours with a pinch of salt.
25 Ross G // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:31
No keep Given, but in the mean as a great Artist once said - A little less conversation a little more action please. Hopefully Fat Ash will be listening to his Elvis LPs and realise something
26 Faustino // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:33
Craig chisolm - your not a supporter mate, your the bloody problem.
27 THELONGSHANKS // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:52
We are being linked with ronaldinho in the paper,will the madness ever end?
28 PK-Norway // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:53
I dont think we will get any good and exiting players to newcastle,only thing i read is that newcastlle is in talk,or are interested..but at last..clubs liike tottenham,boro..and so on getting them.IT SUCKS..i dont know what theyre dong down there in newcastle.
29 Toon_Ksk // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:56
The club has made so many “bids” and we still have not got any signings. McGregor isn’t coming and I hope Given isn’t leaving as well.
If Given leaves the club, I hope it is his decision to leave, not the club’s decision. I’m actually comforted by the fact that we do have decent backup goalies in the club(Forster, Krul).
30 ToonIndonesia // Jun 12, 2008 at 13:04
losing Given will be a great loss…
remember how ManYoo struggle to finally found Van Der Sar… after Schmeichel era…
and so much trouble they had.
probably won’t be the best time for us to have such trouble…
31 Hadrian // Jun 12, 2008 at 13:05
they want double givens fee for that rangers keeper , i dont get how thats a good deal for us ?
sell a guy whos been with us over a decade and is thought of as one of the greatest keepers going .
then replace him with a guy that costs twice as much .
yeah not sure how that one works .
32 Jammy // Jun 12, 2008 at 13:11
Shay has been a great keeper for us, but in the last couple of seasons he has appeared off the boil a little in my opinion.
I wouldn’t begrudge him a crack at some trophies with the Gooners, safe in the knowledge we have Harper, Krul, Forster and Soderberg as back up.
33 THELONGSHANKS // Jun 12, 2008 at 13:42
GIVEN DESERVES A TROPHY AND THATS WHY I DONT MIND HIM GOING TO ARSENAL.
34 Punk Skunk // Jun 12, 2008 at 13:43
Rather have Shay!..
35 xfer // Jun 12, 2008 at 14:22
No please. I would love to see Given at the club. He is such a proffesional, and he loves the city. He had chances to leave in the past, but he did not.
Show him the respect he deserves. He hasnt spoken of his desire to leave us, dont force him out of the club.
36 Matthew Tom // Jun 12, 2008 at 15:24
I am constantly amazed at the criticism that Wise, Vetere, Jimenez, etc are all getting. The transfer window hasn’t even opened yet, how on earth can anyone possibly have any opinion on their efforts to date?
Yes we didn’t buy any senior players in January. So what? It would have been a rushed and hasty process for a very new manager and may well have ended up a complete waste of money. I expect Keegan and the Board quite rightly figured that the current squad would be good enough to keep us in the division, that we weren’t realistically going to get into Europe this year, so why not take some time, consider it all properly and save the cash for the summer.
As far as I can see, we are being linked with loads of possible transfers, many of which are people I’ve never heard of. This is a good thing and it demonstrates that the scouting team are actually scouting talent from outside the obvious range of players, who will all be expensive and will come with massive egos and reputations, instead of coming here to actually prove themselves.
Now will everyone just calm down and stop whingeing all the time.
37 Jamie G // Jun 12, 2008 at 15:50
mcgregor has been excellent and would not be a bad singing at all for 6 mil, but apparently spurs were interested and they wanted something like 10 mil for him.
i don;t like the way though players are immediately dismissed just because their scottish or in the scottish leage.
the thing that amazes me most is how a keeper of givens quality can only be valued at 5 mil. hes still young for a goalkeeper and still at the peak of his career so this fee seems ludicrous.
shay given is a 10 mil goalkeeper because he has the ability to keep hos team in games.
i agree with most of the guys though….it is probably just paper talk.
38 Ian // Jun 12, 2008 at 16:37
harper and krul top keepers, we dont need anyone else.
39 Whumpie // Jun 12, 2008 at 17:27
I agree with Ian but also with Matthew Tom:
Shame to lose Given if it comes to that - but we are spoiled for choice in that department.
But also - here’s a mad concept for all the moaners:
Wisey and co are doing exactly what Ashley, Mort and KK told them to, and they’re doing it well.
In the mean time, the media are making up rubbish to fill column-inches.
In two weeks, the fruits of their labours will be revealed.
Too much to believe? Or would you rather believe the hacks?
40 rutehh8 // Jun 13, 2008 at 0:23
i’d rather have boruc then mcgregor … but that will stay a dream ^^
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