This is probably a non-story since it is based on newspaper talk about Arsenal maybe being interested in signing Oba Martins from Newcastle.
Oba Martins - staying at Newcastle - but he was never leaving in first place
Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, has said he is not interested in signing Oba, and the Sunday Sun is saying that Arsenal have informed Newcastle United officials, they have no plans to make a move for the 23 year-old Nigerian striker.
There had been reports a week or two ago when Martins was asked if he would be interested in moving to Arsenal, if the London club were interested in him, and if Newcastle would let him go.
Yes, quite a loaded question and given how the question was phrased, the answer of course had to be yes - but then the papers reported it sensationally as Martins wanted to move to Arsenal. So what’s new?
But it’s still good news for Newcastle fans, because with the new attacking way Newcastle will play under Kevin Keegan, Oba could be a real star of the future, and could get a hatful of goals for the club.
We’ll take this all with a large pinch of salt, but nevertheless take it as good news.
The next good news we want to hear is that Michael Owen has agreed to take a base wage of around £80K/week, at the club, with incentives for performance, that could increase his wages to that of his previous contract.
It’s clear the club want to keep Michael, and it’s also clear that Michael wants to stay on Tyneside, so we think a deal will be worked out and sooner rather than later.
With the likelihood that Newcastle will now do very well under Kevin, that’s probably not too bad a deal for Michael, and it now looks like the former Liverpool and Real Madrid star really wants to stay at the club, and of course he will remain as captain of the club under Kevin.
Then we’d like to see some more signings, and we need some experienced players in, before the transfer window closes in 49 days time, exactly 7 weeks today - so still plenty of time.
Also, we have a new poll out today on whether Danny Guthrie will turn out to be a good signing for the club, so if you haven’t yet voted - now’s your chance.
Comments very welcome, but please keep them civil.
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36 responses so far ↓
1 ObaFan2 // Jul 13, 2008 at 14:58
Great if Oba stays imo,
As for Owen, I’d find it difficult to live on £4 million a year so my sympathy for his tough choice….. lol…. but who else realitically would pay the same or more for him?
2 NathanB // Jul 13, 2008 at 15:08
No one and Ashley knows that too!!
thats why there’s talk of a performance related offer.
3 Yahya Ahmad // Jul 13, 2008 at 15:08
This is good news!
4 darren grech MALTA // Jul 13, 2008 at 15:10
we need to keep our good players an bring in more better players if we realy to challenge for europ spot next season.it doesn’t make sence to sell oba martins.he’s realy hard worker.
now we need 2 creative midfilders,1 defencive midfilder,1 strong striker and 1 or 2 veritile defenders.than we cab say we are ready for next season
5 Shearer#1 // Jul 13, 2008 at 15:13
It’s that idiot journalist Sean Custis in the Sun who keeps going on about the Martins story. We need a target man to play alongside Owen & Martins. How about Adriano from Inter?
6 nodrog // Jul 13, 2008 at 15:14
The next good news I would like to hear is that we have sold Michael Owen and replaced by somebody like Pavlyuchenko or Gomis.
7 WIGAZ // Jul 13, 2008 at 15:16
GET IN!!!! keeping our best players will help us attract the players we want in! imagine if your a winger or creative midfielder & you have the chance of passing to gr8 CF’s like Owen & martins & viduka! nothing better than a forward making your passes look good by adding the finishing touch to it! calling JOE COLE! SOS BE A TOON LEGEND! lol! no chance!
8 ObaFan2 // Jul 13, 2008 at 15:27
“Spurs are also considering a move for Spartak Moscow’s Roman Pavlyuchenko” OMG ground hog day again !
Also they are now apparantly after the Arshaver too if they sell Berba. Ha ha ha
9 ObaFan2 // Jul 13, 2008 at 15:29
Oh conflicting stories…. for a change
:
Arsenal are lining up a £10m bid for Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins if Emmanuel Adebayor leaves the club to join AC Milan. (Sunday Express)
10 ehssi // Jul 13, 2008 at 15:39
I think the biggest worries Owen has is who Newcastle United will buy this summer…he will take a pay cut if we could bring some good players to the club :)…he wants a insurances…
what do u think fellas ?
11 cooldj // Jul 13, 2008 at 15:43
adriano is returning to his very best form since his loan move. why would inter let him leave now? and if he were availible there’d be much bigger clubs sniffing around as on his day he’s one of the best strikers in the world. as good as it would be, it ain’t gonna happen.
another thing is people talk of derdioyk like he’s the answer to our problems. he isn’t as good as everyone makes out-look at his scoring record. yes he made three assists at the euro’s as is ok but he is no better than viduka imo.
12 ObaFan2 // Jul 13, 2008 at 15:50
adriano is linked with Chelsea in the lampard deal I think.
13 WIGAZ // Jul 13, 2008 at 16:11
Dont think adriano is on our radar like, i’m starting to get the feelin that we aint goin to sign a striker & that KK is going to give smith another chance? i hope i’m wrong & we see quality coming in! we need LB CB AM CF think we have DM covered with Butt & Faye can play there as well! i hope these blogs are right & we see 2 more deals next week! our squad is ridiculously thin! who would people want? & who do you think we’ll get?
14 seetow // Jul 13, 2008 at 16:19
cooldj - just a thought. about your comment on derdiyok, if he were as good as viduka, i would take him anyday! he is much younger and fitter anyway..
15 Hadrian // Jul 13, 2008 at 16:38
reckon we will get 20+ goals outa oba next season !
16 MathewS.Africa1988 // Jul 13, 2008 at 16:40
I agree with everything that has been said about smith not performin, but honestly, we had a dreadful season? And most games he played in the midfield.. Let him get some confidence and let kk work his magic and im sure he will be an asset.. No one can doubt that he really wants to play and wants to do well, imo he has the right attitude and drive to come right.. Give him another chance? Any1 of you lads agree?
17 Mehzeb // Jul 13, 2008 at 16:44
Aimar is completing his move to Benfica. We’re not signing him, that’s for sure. And with the surprises we’ve been getting, it appears that we many never have been interested in him in the first place.
18 Leo // Jul 13, 2008 at 17:17
someone noted adriano well i had a shock about 2 seasons ago, when i was driving to my village and there was an entourage of big black mercs and bmw’s driving with one of them having a plate which was nearly written as
ADRIANO i guess we tried to get him to sign but didnt because he is too good, well there was rumours about him around that time… so they were right ish
cant say us getting him….
someone said something about derdiyok being no better than viduka, so what viduka is class when he plays derds is much younger so he will learn off the best
19 Egar // Jul 13, 2008 at 17:19
OM
MO
KK
20 Graham // Jul 13, 2008 at 17:49
Ed, you’re right as it was never really a story in the first place. National press (and Oliver) twisting things round into a half interesting story.
Ive a funny feeling that Oba’s gonna have a cracking season next to Owen (and hopefully someone like Viduka).
21 Spyro // Jul 13, 2008 at 17:59
no surprise, but good news all the same
22 Matthew Tom // Jul 13, 2008 at 18:01
Wigaz, you seem really extremely excited about every single sentence you write!
23 The Entertainers // Jul 13, 2008 at 18:03
Did anyone outside the North East (Oliver the exception) really believe he would leave this close season?
24 Darryl // Jul 13, 2008 at 18:30
Yeah i was thinking that too! its like, emphasis on the end of every word! gets sorta annoying! but i wish i had your enthusiasm!
lol
25 michael // Jul 13, 2008 at 18:55
I don’t think very many of the stories you write Ed are based on much fact. The whole Aimar, Inler, Derdiyok seems to me to be have been entirely concocted on your page. Taken up by Websites then rehashed in the tabloids. It is always interesting to see the BBC gossip column which tells you the most “interesting” gossip three days from the chatroom rumours.
The very fact that no-one mentioned Guthrie or Gutierrez shows how stupid it is to get riled by such nonsense.
Things that probably are true:
1. Newcastle are not skint. Mike Ashley has lost a fair wedge on the Magpies already. His transfer strategy’s seem to be based more on common sense than crowd pleasing flash Harry’s. So we haven’t signed another Kluivert. So what?
2. Danny Guthrie will be the new Rob Lee. He’s young and he’s hungry. He had the game to interest Man Yoo and Liverpool. The fact that Liverpool are desperately trying to save up for Gareth Barry appears to have down the toon a massive favour. He’s still young enough to be a bit part player for a season yet before being judged. (Something Luque would have loved.)
3. Contrary to popular belief the last thing Newcastle need is “experience”. Geremi, Duff, Owen, Viduka, Faye, Butt, Smith and Beye have plenty of so called experience. All it has meant is large sums of money paid out every week undeservedly to the worse half of the squad. With N’Zogbia, Martins, Taylor and Milner coming to their third or fourth EPL seasons surely it is time for them to shine a bit brighter. What Newcastle desperately need is young players who won’t bankrupt the club, hopefully a handful of which will become prized assets. Taylor aside I can’t remember any player graduating the academy to first team football in the last 10yrs.
4. Gutierrez had better score. Because every geordie and his dog want to see that spiderman shit.
26 Davies // Jul 13, 2008 at 19:08
Nice one. I love Oba. He’s quality and seems like a nice bloke.
27 daiv // Jul 13, 2008 at 19:12
We are not going to sign any real quality this summer so lets accept the fact and make do with what we have. Lets encourage Smith instead of criticizing him. He will play a lot because Viduka will be injured a lot. He could be the answer to our problems.
28 HATE PRAWN SANDWICHES // Jul 13, 2008 at 19:46
daiv - Ive agreed with more or less everything you have said!! apart from keeping Smith we should sell asap! even take a small loss on him!! but we both know he’ll be there next season! just hope he isn’t!!
29 sirjasontoon // Jul 13, 2008 at 20:04
Some great comments and I hope Owen and Martins and the Duke are bossing defences like we know they can next season..I am bored waiting for the big names and will settle for sensible signings and back my hometown team Toon in a more positive manner.
30 wilko // Jul 13, 2008 at 20:05
Hope KK will work on Oba this summer and teach him the meaning of composure in front of goal,and also looking for a team mate for the killer passHe would be a killer CF with a bit more of that coz he has the work rate and desire and 2 awesome feet with which to score - we have all seen that. Just a bit more composure and he could be even more awesome
31 geordie_jordan // Jul 13, 2008 at 20:28
sorry for this ed. but i’d just like to give a big middle finger to the tabloid presses for this nonsense. ridiculous.
32 Nobby's Dad // Jul 13, 2008 at 21:06
Does anyone seriously believe that
33 Nobby's Dad // Jul 13, 2008 at 21:10
Does anyone seriously believe that Wenger phones the Toon and tells Keegan or whoever ‘I’m not interested in Martins’
And then to cap it all he or someone from Arsenal, phones the Sunday Sun to tell them Wenger has contacted Newcastle. It’s complete fabrication.
34 Ausgeordie // Jul 14, 2008 at 0:44
Smith is the answer to no problem. I’d rather throw Carroll in the fire and see what he’s made of.
35 Another Aussie Geordie // Jul 14, 2008 at 1:50
Arsenal not interested in Martins…as always the press have had a slow day so let’s start up a new rumour, it does not matter that the lad has said he loves Newcastle and want’s to become a geordie legend, that does not sell papers. So does it come as a suprise that Arsnel do not want to buy him this week, so the papers say….next week if there is not much news maybe they will run with the story of either Ashley wanting to sell Newcastle always good to get people to buy their rags or maybe they can rehash the Martins to Arsenal, Spurs or anyone.
Now that there is some deal with Owen the presses, he’s leaving card has not been played for a while. So bollicks to the press and lets get behind the players let’s be Newcastle UNITED.
I believe Owen is good for the club, the end of the season under Keegan he showed why we paid so much for him, I think he is a genuine lad who has some terrible injuries and hopefully that’s behind him and will go on to be a great captain and goal scorer.
I also used to think a lot of Smith and was please when we signed him, although last season he was poor, however he still tried to give 100% and we can’t knock that. Remeber Butt in his first season, how do we rank him now. My point is, you do not become a bad player overnight let KK work his magic on him, he has not given up on him nor should we.
Kevin is taking his time and bringing in players he want’s and not what the press report they have been so off the mark so far.
Guthrie and Guterrez where never in the presses sights so why listen to them speculate they don’t know, they lie to sell papers.
The press are ranked with lawers and insurance companies, they even make car salesmen look honest.
36 Ian // Jul 14, 2008 at 8:32
I will breath easier when the window closes, not until then.
Martins usually steps out and tells us it is rubbish he is staying, this time he hasnt, possibly because the team has overall been a bit silent, but maybe not.
Nobby’s dad-yes I do, he is a bit of a nutter, phones everyone, ‘and I am not buying him either he is crap too’, he got a good phone deal, works his way down a list in the transfer window, I hear he only has 234 more to phone!!!!
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