Newcastle United are reported today by the Daily Mail, to be closing in on a move for Blackburn Rovers left-back Stephen Warnock.
Stephen Warnock – Newcastle closing in?
However, new Blackburn manager Paul Ince is still insisting that none of his squad is for sale, but it appears that Warnock would prefer to at least speak to Newcastle, to understand what they have to offer.
Being a former Liverpool player too, you have to think that Kevin Keegan is an attractive manager to the once capped England defender.
Warnock has become unsettled after hearing of Newcastle’s interest and it could be that he would be number one choice for Newcastle, if indeed he moves to Tyneside.
Blackburn have already lost David Bentley and Brad Friedel since Paul Ince took over from Mark Hughes, and Paul said today:
“Clubs are trying to unsettle some of my players. The door is shut, the players can’t go, full stop.”
Bentley went for a ridiculous fee of £15M to Tottenham – well there’s nothing like overpaying for your players is there? Newcastle have lots of experience of that, that’s for sure.
American goalkeeper Brad Friedel was offered a deal he said he couldn’t refuse, by Aston Villa, and Blackburn reluctantly agreed to sell the 37 year-old for £2M.
But it’s really hard to keep players if they want to leave, and usually the clubs are forced to allow their players to move on rather than keep them at the club, and that’s even though the have signed contracts there.
Ince added:
“The last thing I want to do is sell my best players. I can say, 100 per cent, that nobody will be leaving this club.”
We think Warnock could do well under Keegan, but we have to ensure we don’t overpay for the player, and he’s not worth much more than £3M or £4M.
A left-back must now be our highest priority, if we assume Coloccini will sign this week – sometime.
Comments welcome.
47 comments so far
cooldj
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Comment #1wall virginity 😉
i can believe this-a solid player who we bid for earlier in the summer. probably would be 1st team if he came. lets hope it’s about 4.5m (good age too)
DanTheMan!!
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:42 AM
Comment #2better than enrique
I like enrique but at times he shares similar characteristics to a headless chicken
fip
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Comment #3still not the big signing lol
CRAIGG
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Comment #4I would go as high as £6m as we would be talking about that for Bridge and IMO Warnock is as good and much more reliable injury wise.
I really hope we can get this deal done.
DanTheMan!!
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Comment #5There isn’t going to be one
Parky93
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Comment #6way better than enrique and zog. he is solid and pushes forward all the time. i think another great buy from keegan and now all we need is derdryioc and another midfiler
Edd Case
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Comment #7Well if this is the MAJOR signing I’ll be well and truly pissed off.
Mind you, what did we all expect? Xavi! hahaha.
DanTheMan!!
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Comment #8Howay, we have nout to offer to a ‘big’ signing in terms of Europe.
All we can offer is a ridiculous wage, which even now seems unlikely.
I don’t want half hearted money grabbers at the club!
cooldj
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Comment #9i know kk said bassong wouldn’t be 1st team yet but does anyone know if he’s a RB,CB or LB???
DanTheMan!!
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Comment #10CB
Spyro
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Comment #11I hope there is no major signing so that stupid fans dont expect a big name signing every yr, its ridiculous and most on here only want it so they can boast to rival fans “we signed …….”
DanTheMan!!
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Comment #12good point spyro
Robert from Serbia
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Comment #13Bassong is CB and can play at LB
DanTheMan!!
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Comment #14i know he’s on football manager and is a great player on that
but i think Saivet is worth a look at
+ someone Hazard
CRAIGG
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Comment #15What is the obssession with “BIG” signings
Gutierrez, Guthrie and Bassong arent massive names but look the real deal and were bought for pretty cheap.
Warnock is the same and OK we are spending big on Coloccini, But these are well thought out transfers, The same sort of transfers that had Everton and Villa in top 6 last season and Portsmouth as Cup winners.
StevieA
Aug 12, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Comment #16Yeah I think he would be a good signing, much like Guthrie. Consistent and has premiership experience so not too much of a risk.
I would offer 4 million and Smith. See if they turn that down. I bet they wouldn’t.
It’s only a matter of time until we get a left back, Warnock is a good option.
Macas
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Comment #17Pure speculation, and unlikely since we have a left back on trial from Boavista
Tony Green
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:13 PM
Comment #18I love reading this rubbish. What none of you realises is…………none of it matters. At all. Players will come. They will be good, or bad, or nonedescript, they will be hopeless they will become disenchanted and find that their dream lies elsewhere. And wherever they end up will be the right move for everyone concerned. At Newcastle we will continue to hope, become excited, let down by multi millionaires who couldn’t really give an airborne intercourse what we think…..not really. The next season will always be the one. People will witter on about signings etc and nothing will change except the price of a pint and the season ticket.
Mind you I have a good feeling about next season………
Danny
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:13 PM
Comment #19A great exclusive in the chronicle today by MA!!
Only trust Sky Sports and The Chronicle as papers!
Also, only if the article has “Exclusive”, WITH direct comments, are they true…
Check this article out aswell;
http://www.rivals.net/news/pgarticle.aspx?artid=13498_3969979&id=55
A stament from someone that was at a corporate meeting at NUFC.
Looks very beliveable…
DanToon
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Comment #20If we get Warnock, Fernandez and Derdiyok we’ll be fine in IMO, Smith and Ameobi out.
save our club
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Comment #21what no press conference ? surprise surprise, big willie must be a mackem , i just cant believe some people actually believed it.
mind you i would love to be made to look stupid and it actually did happen……………………………………………but it is not going to
Steven
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Comment #22This Coloccini deal has taken laughably too long,we missed out on Cuellar who knows when Coca Colo will come in. Think that our top priority should however be a striker or a forward if/when Coloccini signs.
Paul Gadd
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Comment #23Willie never said that there would be a press conference. He said that there would be an announcement.
Can you not understand English?
mozza
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Comment #24good point spyro, expectation levels were going through the roof yesterday, so does it mean because we dont sign xavi lol or arshavin, people would be disappointed if we signed inler or larson? because i know it defo wouldn’t disappoint me
Ever seen a mackem in Milan?
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:17 PM
Comment #25If we signed Coloccini, Warnock and 1 other player this week i dont think we can be disappointed. There is more time after the Man Utd game to bring in a attacking midfielder/playmaker or striker.
liam
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Comment #26I’ll take £100 bets we don’t get him.
nando
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Comment #27SPYRO-i think fans(or stupid fans to use your words) want big signings because they want to see there team progress.jonas,bassong,collicini and guthrie might be ok players but they are not going to move the club forward or attract quality players.fans want to be entertained and i would argue that the players signed wont entertain us.
Ryan
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Comment #28I think our fans are far too quick to criticise, and for that matter far too quick to praise. People get worried that we are not signing people every day, but give us time. I promise you that behind the scenes Keegan,Ashley and co will be working all day every day to bring in new players. Lets be realistic, everybody wants european football, but it may take another season yet. Ashley is getting used to being an owner, Keegan is settling in again nicely and he is trying to have cover for every position-very sensible.
About transfers I bet we end up with 6/7 new players, maybe even 8. We already have 3 and most probably 4(Coloccini) and all of them tick the right boxes. It would not surprise me if we ended up with 3 or 4 more- Warnock,Derdiyok, Inler and I somehow still have the feeling- even more so after reading that article about the cooperative meeting- that we will sign a big name creative player. Ashley obviously bid big for Modric and Aimar, so I feel that money will be kept for another Creative Player.
We will be okay this season, but don’t go getting on the the owners back if we come 11th or so, he has tryed to spend money but some players are reluctant to come, just give him time.
tyneside tommo
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Comment #29Frankly, I’m not bothered. I trust KK and Wise to get it right. They’ve done so far despite pelters from the misinformed.
We don’t need another “Big Name” to litter the quayside
darren grech MALTA
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Comment #30WARNOCK would be fantastic signing for newcastle utd.he’s defenetly better than bridge and shorey.
Chris H
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:24 PM
Comment #31I would just like to make a statement.
Big Willie. You sir are a bullsh*tter
AndyNUFC. You are a bullsh*tter
Josh (whatever your name is) You are a bullsh*tter.
Anyone else that thinks they have inside information at the club. You are also a bullsh*tter.
tyneside tommo
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Comment #32By the way, anyone got any gossip on Smith? Is he still on Tyneside or house hunting on Merseyside?
JONNY
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Comment #33looks like we have missed out on ceullar!
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_3967307,00.html
he’s a great player but do we need him??
TerryMacsPerm
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Comment #34Smith is staying. End of Story
tyneside tommo
Aug 12, 2008 at 12:29 PM
Comment #35Taxi for Chris H and be quick – the meter’s running
STF
Aug 12, 2008 at 1:20 PM
Comment #36In the defence of Big Willie and Co he did say later on that the press conference would be Wednesday at the latest. Might still be full of cr*p but he is now not the only one reporting the chances of a huge signing…..Many people are and read the link posted above…. Personally I can beleive it because he wants the club to go global and the best way to sell shirts in other countries is to have one or more exciting and huge international player/s. In Ashley’s eyes such a player would be needed and would be an investment towards being a global brand.
Then again it might never happen, time will tell 🙂
Cooper
Aug 12, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Comment #373 words:
NO MAJOR SIGNING!
Lesh
Aug 12, 2008 at 1:31 PM
Comment #38Chris H…. but the bullsh*tters do stimulate debate and whether folk take ’em seriously or not is their prerogative.
Take it all with a pinch of salt and you won’t be disappointed.
All good stuff and what time’s the announcement?
Dane
Aug 12, 2008 at 1:54 PM
Comment #39i have an insider who i dont personally kno as it is my dads mates uncle’s brothers, nephews, son, he sed we will b amazed by the siginings coming in hahaahahh
i love inside knowledge
come on keegan
Dips
Aug 12, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Comment #40http://www.astonvilla.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=508923
If that article was true (big IF) I think a move for Joe Cole would be quite good.