We believe that Newcastle will be bringing in another central midfield player before the end of the month, but we have no idea who that may be.
Gokhan Inler – good central midfield player
Our best guess would be Swiss International Gokhan Inler, and we’ve reported on him a number of times this summer.
Since it now looks like Joey Barton will be banned for some number of games, it’s almost certain Newcastle will need another central midfield player before the end of the month.
We reported this morning, in our transfer news piece , that there were reports in Swiss newspapers, that Inlier’s agent was traveling to London to speak with Arsene Wernger, the Arsenal boss, but it’s not clear he’s first choice for the London club.
It seems like he may be their back-up choice, in case they cannot get Xabi Alonso from Liverpool.
But the Swiss International seems to be interesting English clubs, but that’s coming from his agent, so that may not even be too accurate.
However, there has been no official offers from any club yet, and that includes Arsenal. His club, Udinese Calcio, are saying they would rather keep him, but that’s the normal response from a club to increase the price.
The player’s agent Dino Lamberti told Setanta Sports:
“In the case we received an official offer we would carefully study it with Udinese’s permission.”
“The Premier League is interesting for him, and they are one of the best leagues in the world with the Spanish and the Italian ones.”
“We didn’t speak with Arsene Wenger, but yes, some English clubs asked for information about the player.â€
This situation may heat up in the next few days, although we’re a little surprised Newcastle haven’t moved more quickly for a player who looked really good at Euro 2008, and had an excellent first season with Italian club Udinese last year.
Who else could Newcastle bring in this month for central midfield?
Comments welcome.
320 comments so far
Howie
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:12 PM
Comment #1ed that headline got me too excited. thought some mystery midfielder had agreed terms. i wouldnt bank on a midfielder coming even though i think we badly need one. we have guthrie/butt/geremi/milner vying for two spots and KK loves those 4 players.
keltik
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:16 PM
Comment #2as things stand i am very worried for the new season.
i gave Ashley the excuse that we werent that active last summer because Allerdyce was not his choice, and he had just bought the club and some said he was getting the clubs finances back in order, then i said last Winter that we didnt buy anyone because the winter window is tough and Keegan wanted to tough it out until the summer and save the cash.
Now their is almost 3 weeks left of the window and we have bought:
Guthrie (unproven, backup player, imo)
Guttierrez (hopefully new start winger)
Bassong (unknown youth)
we really need at least 3 top quality signings before the new season starts, probably 2 defenders and 1 striker.
without these 3 key players we will have to play Enrique left back who i hope will adapt to the english game and step up, we have Faye & Tayls in CB although when one gets injured we will have to go to Bassong, who is unproven and young.
Then the strikers, Viduka is injured (suprise S
suprise) and now Owen will miss the new season. We all know Oba can pick up the odd knock but lets hope not because even with him upfront on his own we struggle, and if we dont have him we will have to play say Smith upfront with Milner or something.
if you look at our options and then look at the teams we are supposed to be competing with, Spurs, Portsmouth, Villa, and only a couple of years ago Liverpool… i remember Liverpool being a grate rival cuz we had a few tustles for 3rd and 4th sport under Bobby Robson but now when you talk about those days people look like your mad.
anyway, the only thing that annoys me more than no signings is that we have employed at least 3 ‘executives’ to do these sorts of deals, i mean why not go out and seal some deals before the end of the season like Spurs did with Modric?? surely the 3 new ‘executives’ had the time on their hands.
i mean whats going on? i know the market is tough but even Sunderland are more active than us, and thats depressing.
sorry to vent im just getting worried about the state of our club, we dont have much longer…. i feel this could be a very serious season for us unless we sign a number of key players.
Thomas
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:17 PM
Comment #3Same here howie…. sigh
JonGoodwyn
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:17 PM
Comment #4What Howie said
keltik
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:18 PM
Comment #5edit: Owen will miss the opening game to the new season, not the new season.
simon P
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:18 PM
Comment #6Collocini ……..????
Signing a player over the weekend ??
Bull pizzle.
With no investment, we are down.
Leo
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:19 PM
Comment #7bit of a sensational headline, have you heard something ed?
i agree though we do need another midfielder due to mister barton
damn it, maybe we will get a good midfielder then we will find out barton is not going to be further punshed- SCORE
Michael
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:21 PM
Comment #8There was no need to have a headline like that. The last thing people want now is false hope.
GraemeR
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:21 PM
Comment #9OK – the truth is I am signing tommorow and will be rolled out a Half Time.
47, cultured left foot – not one for the future – especially with the arthiritis. Can run all day providing you are buying the diesel and at 5 foot 1 ” will not be picked on by the likes of Terry or Ferdi
S
darren grech MALTA
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:21 PM
Comment #10we defenetly needs a creative midfielder like REQUELME style,strong striker like DERDYKOV and 2 defenders like COLUCCINI and WARNOCK
paddyq
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:21 PM
Comment #11little bit of a dramatic and misleading headline ed…..
beye the great
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:23 PM
Comment #12i agree we badly need a cm who can create perhaps joao moutinho would be a good buy thats if we could get him but i genuinly believe that after colloccini comes in wem ay bring in a lband that will be it though in jan we may wait to see if there is an unknown some where who can potentially be world class ok its a bit ambitious but i am only thinking this year if we had bought arshavin in jan we may be a lot better off maybe there is someone like that who we can bring in coz knowing kk if something is nt right he willtry and get some one for the job
ToonEskimo
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:24 PM
Comment #13You’d better be careful Ed You might be The Sun’s next sport’s editor…..
Mad_Magpie
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:24 PM
Comment #14Great post keltik. I don’t see us buying 3 players in a fortnight, although maybe by the end of August. I know transfers take long in the modern game but we’ve had plenty of time, things have been too slow. As soon as the final whistle blew at Everton, we should have been searching for what we need, maybe even before. New arrivals needed to have come before our tour of Mallorca ideally but there is no point in dwelling on that now. Get the players in sharpish!
hitman
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:25 PM
Comment #15second that paddyq,bang out of order
AngerOfTheNorth
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:25 PM
Comment #16Ed, you could write headlines for The Sun…
Alex
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:25 PM
Comment #17Howie I thought the same thing .Was starting to get excited .Inler would be a brilliant signing but somehow don’t think we are interested or surely we would of at least put a bid in by now.
joe
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:25 PM
Comment #18ed that headline is a disgrace – i’m in marbella and out of the loop a bit – i reckon you need to alter it a bit!!! Benayoun would be the player i went for – especially as Liverpool want Barry.
Toonboy
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:26 PM
Comment #19Dunno about a midfielder,whats going on with collicini???
I think it’ll be annouce it aboot 5pm tomorrow so it’ll still give people enough time to get a ticket for the match and see him unvailed,what you think???
Leo
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:28 PM
Comment #20i dont actually think its the investment thats the problem i think it is the recruitment, they have no ability at closing the deal, something strange about wise being the head of recruitment when he has not done it at any level that would excite anyone
can they seriously only work on one deal at a time,
i asked the question tomyself about the weekend, what happened to finishing a deal within 24hours, do they work with a spanish watch, no offence but the attitude of the recruitment must be like a spanish building site everyone lying back on their chairs chaning ah manyana (spelling isnt right there)
GraemeR
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:28 PM
Comment #21Here is my dream day – 6th August
At 1pm the club announce a press conference for 3pm.
Anal Oliver cant make it (YES)
Sky give a live feed and there is 7 chairs behind the conference table with KK in the middle. After the normal chit chat KK announces that he is here to present new signings for NUFC and proceeds to roll out Inlar, Derdiyok, Moutinho, Colocconi, Burdisso and Riquelme. After teh normal chat with each of hte players and photos KK announces one more player and open the curtains to reveal KAKA on the SJP pitch juggling and generally wowing the rest of the squad.
Cumon Ashers make it so
harrier
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:29 PM
Comment #22hey – free enterance to see newcastle training next weds at st. james – wish i was in toon 🙁
jeff
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:29 PM
Comment #23is it not just wishful thinking…..Im getting a bit sick of how long it takes for the toon to finalise the deals……whats happening with coloccini
Ciaran
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:30 PM
Comment #24I’d imagine we’ve made an offer for Inler but he’s waiting to see if Arsenal come in for him. If the situation goes on for too long hopefully Skeljbrad is lined up as an alternative. We really badly need a creative midfielder. It’s so frustrating to have lightning, intelligent strikers like Oba and Owen but nobody to play a killer final ball to them. Milner is average, Geremi goes missing constantly, Guthrie is a squad player with promise and despite a lot of support from this site, Butt is very close to finished.
harrier
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:31 PM
Comment #25graemer – you can wake up now 🙂
the black magpie
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:32 PM
Comment #26i third that howie
im so depressed
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Football/Premier+League/Newcastle+United
im clicking on the above like its a stock market ticker- sniffing for any movement
im irritable, nervous concerned….and its only pre-season
my office is only 20min from my house so i walk to work, and every week i always see at least one magpie
toon army till i die
Spyro
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:33 PM
Comment #27harrier do you just sit there refreshing newsnow.com or something. Guys, stop waiting by the PC and time will go much faster lol
i Toon
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:33 PM
Comment #28i’m tired of all of this today is Aug 5th for crying out lound we play the european champs Aug 17 and we got 2 Midfield player and 1 defender far a team that leak goals last season Man Utd hit 11 in 2 games in us (i rate Toon) :@
GraemeR
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:34 PM
Comment #29Do u thing hte open day is a trial for the Geordie wannabees – remember Alan Shoulder and the Waddler were found in the local lower leagues
Edinburgh Mag
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:34 PM
Comment #30I think we need 2 central midfielders. Our current midfield is far too stagnant. There is no urgency whatsoever when any of our CM’s pick up the ball. Everything is so slow and one paced. A ball winner & a creative midfielder is where i think we should be looking. Our current CM’s should be squad players at best if we’re wanting to make any sort of improvement on last season, in my opinion.
chuck
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:35 PM
Comment #31Dont want Inler, let me clarify that, dont want him if we can get Muotinho or Veloso instead.
I see an unhealthy approach here in our dealings
looks like we are not going for top quality, that price is the deciding factor and we will accept second best.
Well thats fine if your ambitions are to just survive in the PL, with the hope of getting lucky and getting a UAFA spot.
Now if the ownership want to challenge for a top spot, going to have to go for top players.
Dont have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one.
antz
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:36 PM
Comment #32y cum up with a headline like that ed? thats nothing short of disgraceful, that looked like there had been somedevelopments and tbh im not greatly impressed by this at all
harrier
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:40 PM
Comment #33spyro – at work 😛
and i clicked at that moment on the official site to see if there was anything, but there wasn’t 😛
hitman
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:43 PM
Comment #34ashley had the nerve to give kk a lashing for saying we have no chance to compete with the big 4,how can we compete with the top 6 with lack of signings we have made.and the ones we have signed arnt going to make much diffrence are they,ashley wants to run the club on the cheep.
Dondatta13
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:43 PM
Comment #35Club announce an Open day on the 13th August. Free to enter SJP …. Could it be some new players may just be paraded?
http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1359084,00.html
Toon1978
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:43 PM
Comment #36ED
I’m not a one for criticising but i really did think that we were close to a good midfield player and the first name that sprung to mind believe it or not was XABI or XAVI from Barca cant remember which one, i know a stupid thing to think but my hopes had risen only to be dashed lol anyway not to worry 🙂
Spyro
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:44 PM
Comment #37fair enough harrier, you dont have to justify yourself to me anyway mate, was sort of a rhetorical question, havin a laugh so to speak
harrier
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:47 PM
Comment #38no worries spyro – where is our new CB, LB, AMF and CF dammit?! 🙂
tron
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:50 PM
Comment #39ed – where did you hear this from? do you know if this is true or just what you and we all hope will surely happy. we need some creativity!!
dougnufc
Aug 5, 2008 at 7:51 PM
Comment #40Rooney and Ronaldo to miss start of season, Good News