With the good news today that we may be trying to get Eren Derdiyok, the 20 year old Swiss Striker, we could do a lot worse than bringing these top youngsters into the club during the summer.
Jonny Evans – looks a great buy – if we can get him
The news on Derdiyok, coupled with the news yesterday that we could be in for Manchester United’s 20 year old defender, Jonny Evans, makes it clear that Newcastle are concentrating on getting youth through the door, at reasonable fees.
These boys, given we make good initial choices of course, can then get better as they get more experience, and catapult Newcastle to one of the best teams in the country.
That’s the plan anyway. :D.
While these youngsters still have some way to go in their football education and development, they are already first team material.
We’re not sure if we have enough experience in the side to be able to bring in all young players during this summer, but if we can bring in say 2-3 experienced players, and then augment them by some of these top youngsters, we should be in great shape for next season.
These would be young players who could immediately fight for a first team place, and be older than other youngsters, like 15 year-old Aaron Spear, who also seems to be joining Newcastle.
Here are some young players, who we’ve been linked with over the summer and who are in their early 20s at most.
Jonny Evans (20)– Manchester United – central defender
Eren Derdiyok (20) – FC Basle – striker
Sebastian Larsson (23) – Birmingham – right midfield
Aaron Lennon (21) – Spurs – winger
Armine Chermiti (19) – Etoile Sportive du Sahel (Tunisia) – forward
Arda Turan (21) – Galatasaray – winger
Robert Acquafresca (20) – Inter-Milan – striker
Michael Bradley (20) – Herenveen – central midfield
Younes Kaboul (22) – Spurs – central defender
And we’re sure we don’t have all the youngsters above that we’ve been linked with – but we’ve tried to concentrate on those who are 22 or under.
Seb Larsson just turned 23 earlier this month, so we’ve put him in the list.
We’ve left Arda Turan on the list, although we think he’ll now be too expensive for us, and there will be bigger clubs in now, after his great displays in Euro 2008.
We think this is a great strategy for the club, and may start to pay dividends as early as next season – we hope so in any case.
Who are the other youngsters we could possibly attract to Tyneside?
Comments very welcome.
61 comments so far
craig chisholm
Jun 30, 2008 at 9:45 AM
Comment #41Ian man, i am with you, i think Mike Ashley is not rich enough to run our club – that is exactly right. He wants to be like abramovich but can not be – ever. Ashley spends nothing on players at all. I am still stunned that he has so many of us on here who seem to approve of the way he is doing things at newcastle. The bloke is raping the club and shafting the fans. He wants his cake and eat it. he wants to invest nothing in players of known quality, christ, we can not even agree a fee for spear who is just 15! All those blokes that support him please answer me this one question to convince me on Ashley- we still were one of only five clubs to make a profit and that was with such a high wage structure. Now that he is systimatically getting rid of as many of the high paid hangers on (thats good) and also not concluding new deals for our good players such as owen, harper, taylor, martins etc plus trying to exploit bartons situation to save even more money. And it is exploitation cos if ashley was truly offended by barton then just sack him!! no, again, mike wants his cake and eat it. he wants to keep barton but for a huge saving. We know that the offer was made as Mort even said that they were in discussions with Bartons agent over it. They certainly wernt negotiating a pay rise for him were they. Now with our wage bill already vastly reduced and going to be even more, plus the massive surge in tv revenue -WHY PUT UP SEASON TICKETS BY 10%?? Why put them up at all? please dont tell me that you guys support the obcene rise in tickets when at the same time he is putting nothing onto the pitch for us. It does NOT add up, cumon lads, think about it – its shit, thats what it is. He is creaming a fortune from us, giving nothing back and then twisting the knife even deeper with prem leading ticket hikes!!
Keith
Jun 30, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Comment #42Not sure how some can say his record isnt good:
Of 44 appearances for Basle with an average of 48.5′ minutes on the pitch he scored 11 goals with 6 assists. (he only plays a half a game)
For Switzerland at all levels – 18 appearances, Average of 66.7′ nimutes a game he has scored 15 goals and 6 assists.
He is at an age and would be going to a club where he will continue to improve.
If that doesnt show potential – what does! I suggest the doubters do some research before screaming we want VDV, Arshavin, Modric before throwing their rattles out of their prams.
Keith
Jun 30, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Comment #43Chisholm – how can you accuse Ashley of raping the club when he invested 250mill and the club is debt free and is putting a long term strategy in place that could be the foundations of a great team for years. If you need immediate satisfaction go take drugs and leave the club which will be better off without your support. You disgust me.
(P.S. wasnt it FF that “raped the club” to the tune of 80 million to feed your fix and the morons like you whilst filling his pockets and laying layer upon layer of debt on the club – Even Martins still isnt paid for for christs sake)
Ian
Jun 30, 2008 at 1:19 PM
Comment #44Keith how can you support Ashley when it is rumoured that he is going to follow Arsenal’s example of a wage structure and younger players and they are first to want one of the players he is going to sell?? Something wrong there mate.
Craig is a little strong with the ‘rape’ word, but he may be right as no-one from the club is coming out to deny anything said isnt the truth.
It is looking more like a nightmare day by day, it looks like he may do the same to Keegan that he did with Allerdyce, I am wondering loads of things like Craig and many others, I wonder if he thinks he can stiff a manager year by year, they somehow keep us in the premiership and he gets his investment back? Meanwhile he doesnt give them anything of a transfer kitty, I dont know, but it isnt looking good for the future, if any of our top players go I cant see any others taking their place unless they are well out of favour or not very good players.
Or he looks at each manager and thinks they are crap, because he is used to business managers not football coaches, the word possibly misled him??
We all know how clubs drop if the owners get it wrong, he needs to get his act together quickly or tickets, merchandise and media interest regarding Newcastle will be lost and with it his money.
craig chisholm
Jun 30, 2008 at 1:35 PM
Comment #45well keith you really are a proper blinkered by the looks of it. Thats cool though, you have your views and i will have mine. saying as i guarentee that i pump at least 4 times the money into newcastle every year that you do (4 season tickets every year without fail) i am convinced that i have every right to say what my views are. it does not make me a moron for stating the facts. By the way…….in between your rants at me, i still never saw an answer to my question. As you are a mega loyal ashley fan more than a newcastle fan perhaps you can tell me. Please tell me why he needs to raise the season ticket prices by a prem high of 10% when at the same time we were one of only five clubs making profit, have since trimmed the wage bill even further – and will continue to do it more in the coming weeks and the tv package is through the roof. Please tell me why we had to have such a raise…….or if you like i can tell you, mathematically if you wish. It equates to ashley clawing back the 100 million he paid off the debt within just a year and half. Keeping us ticking along in mid table prem and showing very healthy profits on the books for a full financial year – then selling. That is what a fully believe he is going to do. Have you stopped and thought about how much he is going to make out of us in doing that Keith? He can can claw back the 100 million in a season and half, i have worked it out. So that then puts him back with 140 million of his own money in newcastle. With the tv rights and low salaries we will have, i can tell you that he will be posting profits of between 20 – 30 million every year. This makes us super viable for selling. He will get 350 million for selling us as such a profit making , no debt company. That is 200 million profit he will walk away with for two and a half years at newcastle. I aint dreaming and i aint talking out me arse either. It could be argued Keith that i am an ultra toon fan and not a sheep and thats why i see through him and what he is doing. There are others that see it too, like Ian. This man is all business. I may not be in the league of these mega bucks people but i earn alot of money and its not through being a moron Keith. This is my view and i stand by it, same as you do yours.
Keith
Jun 30, 2008 at 1:35 PM
Comment #46Ian:
Tell me what has Ashley done wrong so far – you seem to allude to the fact that because he doesn’t divulge his tactics or rationale he is dishonourable.
You seem to hang draw and quarter him on the innuendo of other people writing stories when we all know there is nothing coming out of the boardroom so the stories are little more than tomorrows chip paper (I was being polite they could be used for worse things lol)
REMEMBER he DIDNT do due diligence when he bought the club – that’s the single biggest fact you should concentrate on – which meant an additional 80 million bill on looking at the accounts.
He wasnt looking at Return on Investment, it was a lifestyle buy – and his actions to date have backed that up countless times.
It’s first rate at how the board conducts their affairs, with integrity and silence. Although he may like to inform you, it would cost him 10’s of millions if he did tell you his plans as prices for the payers the club covets would rise – Just look at the Arshavin and Arda merry-go-round (and that’s money he could spend on even more players.)
The feelings you have are like a child awaiting Christmas day – what presents will they get. Lets just hope we are happy with ours 😉
Keith
Jun 30, 2008 at 1:49 PM
Comment #47Chisholm
I think I have seen the error of your thoughts – I hope they were honest ones not malevolent.
50 000 Season tickets (I am overstating) at an average price increase of around £60 (Ive averaged the ticket price to around £600 ish) = £3, 000, 000 – thats £3m. Where do you get £100 mill from in one season? He has only asked those with the best seats to pay more, introduced more family areas with lower prices, introduced a singing section with those moving not paying more – what can I say Craig – we will never agree – I am a fan who also remembers we were saved from oblivion who loves the way the club is being ran – like a business with a long term future.
We didnt make a profit either – we were £80 mil in debt – you are either thick – misinformed or malevolent. (I suggest the former). And the first years private accounts arent published so again you make facts up re profitability – why?
Ed poinsonous uninformed moronic blogs entries like Chish’s should not be allowed they are as bad as the Southern Press’s. They damage NUFC even through they are rubbish – and he calls himself a fan!
Chish your FF type drug habit nearly cost us the very thing thats precious to us all – NUFC – embrace the change instead of reacting with the mentality of a geordie redneck.
Q. ARE YOU FAT FREDDIE IN DISGUISE as your argument has no base in fact or truth.
craig chisholm
Jun 30, 2008 at 1:56 PM
Comment #48Keith, honest, i aint having a go here, i am merley showing you the flip side of the coin.
The due diligence bit is a load of bollocks cos we all know the club had 80 million of debt – its pulished every financial year, its the rules ofthe stock market. Christ, is 52 ooo os us knew, how come ashley didnt – cumon man, dont buy into that – this bloke is not stupid.
Also – you think its first rate how the board conducts its affiars – again Keith – sorry man, i disagree. Dont let ashleys fat happy face amke you think he is a nice guy. This man is ruthless. Do you rememebr how he waited to make his move until fat fred was in hospital critically ill with pneumonia? How mort made a right pigs ear of trying to appoint arry redknapp. Made another public arse in trying to twist bartons arm to lower his money. The board frustrated keegan so much that he blew up after the chelski game on live tv. At the same time keegan says he would love to bring in big names. mort is on the other channel confirming that there will be no big name signings. Put up season tickets 10% for no reason other than greed. There more too. All of this in the first 12 months Keith. No, i dont think we have a good board. I think our club is splintered and there are too many hidden agendas. He can not run this club like he does lillywhites. Newcastle is too much in our hearts and in our minds – all the time. He is going to find that out, all its gonna take is for him to sell owen or martins. Oh yes, speaking of martins, they offered 80 grand a week new contract, and then jsut when he was going to sign, they withdrew the offer – cool management indeed.
Keith
Jun 30, 2008 at 2:49 PM
Comment #49Craig – I can tell you care but I just think you have formed your thoughts and opinions on matters other than fact that you can not possibly hope to know to be accurate. Speculation doesnt equal fact, the only things you can judge Ashley on are facts, and if he doesnt sign new players I will be dumbfounded as he hasnt invested 250mill to lose it by getting relegated, hence I have faith.
I believe we as fans have to act as responsibly as the board has to if we are to stop the crap appearing in the press to crucify us – its because of these type of ridiculous baseless opinions that the football world turned against us last year. They are the poison that turns fans against us and as a result of the bad press the players who read those papers that we hope to sign.
Sometimes being passionate and caring for your club is more about deeper thought and faith than a knee jerk reaction as passionate (yet misguided;)) as it might be – it is meant to be Newcastle UNITED you know. 😉
Ian
Jun 30, 2008 at 3:49 PM
Comment #50Keith you seem to be misunderstanding what I am saying.
We are supposed to follow the Arsenal model, have a wage cap and buy young players, so we may sell martins – no-one is saying he isnt for sale, while any other club which has had a rumour that someone is going when they arent has come straight out and said ‘wait a minute….
The problem is the first in line to buy the player we may sell is ARSENAL – I thought we were following the Arsenal model?????? So we sell a player they will buy??? Good idea Sherlock.
You think that not seeing £80m extra debt in a club worth just over £200m is a lack of due diligence, I see that as pure incompetence, 30% of the value of the club missed, ok £2m but not £80M +. Now he has bought the club tough sh*t, live with it and dont cut the funds because of a mistake that the owner made otherwise he will stand to lose a lot more.
You think that it is ok that everything is quiet, I dont, it is a Club, which means that it has members who buy season tickets, it has customers who buy merchandise, some people will be waiting to see if they will buy an Owen or Martins shirt this Summer in the new colours and style, TV will be wondering if they should be bidding for more or less of Newcastle’s matches because if they buy a big name and keep the existing line up at the front then it may be an exciting season. The club needs revenue they have to advertise their wares and entice people in to part with money-advertising and PR, buy a season ticket because…… suppport this club because….. next year will be exciting because…
commonsense mate, fit out the shop window.
I am not looking for a big signing, I want Cisse who is cheap, so your kid at Christmas statement doesnt fit with me, you must be thinking of someone else.
I would however like to see two big midfield signings, and looking at our past record of buying players who should have been good, we may have to pay a lot for two decent midfielders, the going rate for scoring midfielders seems to be around the £10m+ each, if you think you can get a couple from Carlisle united or somewhere else for a couple of million that can do the job then you need to get down to the club and get a scouting job.
It is going to be two years before the higher quality reserve signings impact on the first team, and we still havent signed the new Rooney so it may take even longer. Meantime we need to work as clubs without quality reserves coming through the ranks have to do, which is buy in the transfer market and make the club look attractive to players.
Like everyone else I am waiting for someone to come out and knock the vicious rumours on the head, they havent, I honestly dont know if we will have Owen or Martins next season and i dont see any players shouting out they want to join us, if you think that sounds good then great, but I am still waiting….
Keith
Jun 30, 2008 at 4:12 PM
Comment #51Ian, you have bit part selected rationalle in the beginning of your reply and also quote without in depth thought.
Everything above “I would however like to see two big midfield signings, and looking at our past record of buying ” was utter tosh and the kind of tripe I am on about – utter speculation based on nothing but innuendo – and reshaped as fact – when the only fact is you know NOTHING and neither do I, but I wont speculate on things I know nothing about – you can only judge and give comment on those you do. Hence I will await the close of the transfer window, give thought, then opinions.
Below that line your argument was thought out and reasoned, irrespective of whether I agree or disagree and they are the positive great opinions we should be debating.
I wasnt saying the due diligence was a mistake at all – you are again too quick to speak too slow to think – he didnt perform diligence as he wasn’t interested in ROR – Rate of Return – a fundamental basic of an investment therefore the only assumption is it was a lifestyle investment.
There is only one certainty I can take from your comments above that line Ian with 100% conviction – You dont run your own company do you!
And as for giving a self made Billionaire advice on how to make money and profit…….OH MY GOD…I give up.
Ian
Jun 30, 2008 at 4:30 PM
Comment #52Keith, I actually do run my own company and have also ran other peoples, right from just under the age of 21. I am not kidding, seriously.
As for giving a billionaire businessman advice, he stated that he missed the £80m debt not me, if i was making this up then your comment about me would be correct but i didnt.
Everyone knows you have to advertise your wares, why do you think the top clubs are so eager to stamp out rumours of top players leaving? Because they like to talk to reporters? Not likely, they dont want some reporter affecting their season ticket and merchandise sales or their media income.
We have bought top quality in fact international midfielders who cant score, we bought quality and it didnt work, however we never really pushed the boat out in midfield, we did at the front but not in midfield, considering top quality midfield players who provide 8 goals per season plus go for up to £13m then may be we need to spend £20m on two if they would even consider coming to us?
The likes of Lennon will simply follow the old pattern, loads of potential and no goals so we stay mid table, so to me it is either pay through the nose or gamble on unknown midfielders such as our Lua Lua.
craig chisholm
Jun 30, 2008 at 4:50 PM
Comment #53We are getting no where here are we Keith. i said a season and half for a start, not one season. if he gets rid of emre, rozzenhal, ameobi, smith, duff and barton only, he will save 16 million a year. we were already 6 million in profit even with the massive overheads……..thats 22 million. Tv rights have increase double since he bought the club, 13 million a year more…………threre is 35 million and the season ticket hike brings in another 4 million a year taking it up to 39 million. There is half of the debt he inherited staright off and we are just getting started and thats in a season. You also have to remember that we managed to post that operating profit after buying expensive players on big wages and with that massive debt too. Since then we have bought no-one and as the debt is gone its unshackled our profits to soar – we wont find out though cos he de-listed us, the profits will be even bigger.
Maybe Ian does not run his own company Keith but i do, and its a good one, so good that a can pay myself nearly 200 grand a year after tax. I am pleased that you said that to Ian cos it kinda makes me want to ask you a simple question. If you had a supplier who you had used for years get taken over and then you see him self off assests, reduce the quality of his product and then demand 10% more from you for his gear what would you think – really, cumon, concede the point at least! ha.
Also Keith, you still never commented on why its good for ashley to bump the season tickets up by so much when it does not represent what he is doing in terms of reinvesting it.
Ian
Jun 30, 2008 at 4:59 PM
Comment #54Craig you are in business too???
What were the odds of keith making that statement about us two!!!!!!
The other part of the income that we all are forgetting about (as it isnt in our businesses) is sponsorship, who wants their company name associated with a club who cant manage the media, arent doing press and TV conferences etc when they pay fortunes to have their names on shirts and on the front wall of the conference room.
Nick Dryden
Jun 30, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Comment #55Keith you are spot on . Craig is a whinging, glass is always half empty type who doesn’t do the math and is always looking for short termism. I love what Ashley is doing. To carry on as we were in the middle of a global credit crunch was totally unsustainable. Sports Direct has taken a massive not qualifying for the euros etc. We have over 70% wages to turnover. In any business that’s suicide. We are paying clowns like Smith, Duff and Barton astronomically stupid wages with no correlation to performance whatsoever. Wouldn’t you as an owner be just a bit miffed shelling out millions on people who spend months on the treatment table or at her majesty’s pleasure. Impatienc eand trophy signings have got us where we are now. I’m really looking forward to more Kadar’s etc.
Nick Dryden
Jun 30, 2008 at 6:26 PM
Comment #56Keith you are spot on . Craig is a whinging, glass is always half empty type who doesn’t do the math and is always looking for short termism. I love what Ashley is doing. To carry on as we were in the middle of a global credit crunch was totally unsustainable. Sports Direct has taken a massive not qualifying for the euros etc. We have over 70% wages to turnover. In any business that’s suicide. We are paying clowns like Smith, Duff and Barton astronomically stupid wages with no correlation to performance whatsoever. Wouldn’t you as an owner be just a bit miffed shelling out millions on people who spend months on the treatment table or at her majesty’s pleasure. Impatience and trophy signings have got us where we are now. I’m really looking forward to more Kadar’s etc.
Ian
Jun 30, 2008 at 7:47 PM
Comment #57Nick you love what Ashley is doing?????
What has he done? Hired Keegan and nothing else so far just moaned about the extra debt.
He took the business on with his eyes wide open, it doesnt matter what percentage the wages bill is when you take a business on, to turn a business of that size round it would take an absolute minimum of three years, if the World was drowned in star quality players it could be done in one transfer window but when the revenue relies on performance and you need the players to get the performance and you arent in Europe and you arent in or near the capital then it is all the more tougher.
We were just above the relegation zone last year with Martins, Owen and Viduka and all that comes out of the club is the cost of phones suits and wages and you think that is positive???
I am desperate to hear something positive out of the club, I look and listen every day so far nothing but bad rumours, surely if something good was going to happen there would be at least one whisper-nothing.
Keith
Jun 30, 2008 at 11:18 PM
Comment #58Ian, two things, I laughed when I read your comment ” He took the business on with his eyes wide open, it doesnt matter what percentage the wages bill is when you take a business on, to turn a business of that size round it would take an absolute minimum of three years”
Now taking you own medicine – give him 3 years not the one he has had already.
Oh and renting a bouncy castle does not make you a business man.
I give up. 😉
Ian
Jul 1, 2008 at 8:49 AM
Comment #59Keith we will just have to agree that we disagree, let us see who is right. First day of transfer window and Chelsea finalise the Deco purchase, Newcastle nothing and no press statement.
Your only argument is that he is a succesful businessman and therefore he wont make a mistake. Take my own medicine???? He has had the club one year and done nothing so far, what planet are you on??? We have started the transfer window and we are only talking of saving money when we were near relegation last season, get back in to your dream World, there is two years left to make some real difference so far nothing, waken up. If the right move isnt made this transfer window the club will not turn around in three years of Ashley ownership as that would only leave one more summer transfer window. I think he is trying or has been trying to sell but cant.
Looking back over your posts you only really comment on others and dont make any points yourself, only Ashley is rich-oh we will be ok then.
Craig is right we are going nowhere with this, same place the club is going at the moment.
chuck
Jul 1, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Comment #60Hey c`mon guys you are talking nonsence, stop the bullshit please, all baseless assumptions, an ego inspired pissing match.
The question was about buying young talent I
believe.
If the selling off of players continues and the club intends to rely on the recently aquired youngsters, its a recipe for relegation.
How do we know the youngsters will mature into
PL quality players, look at the talent at both arsenal and Man U. that have`nt made it.
Right now the team lacks depth and unless some
decent signings arrive, things do not bode well for the upcoming season.
Ian
Jul 1, 2008 at 2:15 PM
Comment #61Agreed chuck which was really what i was saying in post 39. until the crap started.
It is worrying at the moment, our best players arent secured and we arent linked properly to anyone for the first team, never mind players which may lift us up the table.