The local Sunday Sun is reporting today that Galatasaray are set to make a firm bid for Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini.
Fabricio Coloccini – had a solid game yesterday
And there are also reports that Real Zaragoza are looking at Jose Enrique as Newcastle need to offload more of their top wage earners.
Turkish side Galatasaray are said to have sent sent a two-man delegation to Newcastle last week for talks with the club about Coloccini.
Galatasaray coach Frank Rijkaard is still keen for a deal to be struck, but the question likely is how much we can get back for the £10M we paid Deportivo for the player last summer.
We have to be very careful in these next two weeks that we don’t sell too many players without bringing in replacements, but with Ashley still as owner, anything is possible, and that has to be major worry for the club.
Selling Coloccini would leave Newcastle seriously short in defense, although there was some news we may want to bring in Andy O’Brien of Bolton to increase the numbers, but we have no back up to Enrique, and haven’t has since he’s been at the club these last two seasons.
Watford’s Mike Williamson has also been mentioned as potentially an adequate replacement for the Argentine.
Williamson is now valued at around £1M although Watford paid just £100K for him from Wycombe Wanderers last January, but he has improved an awful lot at Watford.
Zaragoza are keen on Jose Enrique, after missing out on another left-back target, but the Spanish club may have difficulty coming up with the money for Enrique, who cost Newcastle £6M two years ago.
These are worrying times at Newcastle, but if we can bring in adequate replacements we will have brought in some transfer money to the club, and reduced the enormous wage bill.
We’ll be in much better financial health, but we must also ensure we have the squad that can get us out of the Championship at the first attempt, which on yesterday’s showing, suggests we may have right now.
Certainly it seems like their are some decent players out there for reasonable transfer fees.
Comments welcome.
19 comments so far
chanty
Aug 16, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Comment #1dnt mind if collocini goes, he looked ok yday but he is too slow. enrique is quality, we need to keep hold of e
RyanToon
Aug 16, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Comment #2coloccini = shivte
enrique = very average
sahota
Aug 16, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Comment #3Oh my GOD, we should not lose Andy Caroll …Sky Sports just gave news about interest from Wolves and one other club…
I am happy Colo leaving even if its around 7 million loss…atleast we will save in salary
AussieToon
Aug 16, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Comment #4If we get the reported Williamson and Sol Campbell in, I would love to lose Colloccini to get wages off the books and some more funds in.
Enrique I do not want to lose. Easily the best left back in the competition, he is funny enough for a Spanish player, suited to the rough and tough Championship and as we saw, his pace and ability to get the ball in from wide areas is a reason we are a chance to get promoted straight away!
Definitely do not want to lose Enrique.
will die for the toon army
Aug 16, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Comment #5S.Taylor and Carroll have a point to prove they are Geordies they cat jst leave us.
Colo and Enrique will leave we need alot of cash for The bull
will die for the toon army
Aug 16, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Comment #6I would go for a Moat/Ashely partnership, Ashely jst comes to watch games and all Shearer in and we are set. Stability and promotion the BULL pliz dont go.
Toonmania
Aug 16, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Comment #7don’t let the door hit you colo on your way out, if it did you might not be a good purchace oh lol your not!!! bye bye good riddance to bad players, Argentina must be desperate for players if this is the best they can produce these days
Jan Stavik
Aug 16, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Comment #8Enrique average?! Where? Not in UK for sure, he’s one of the better left defenders in the league system.
A very good fullback, I’d keep him if he’s happy to play one season in the CCC.
Ericles
Aug 16, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Comment #9What will rise from the ashes of all the rooms Ashley has burnt down? Coloccini has to go asap but we still need a replacement. I still think Sol Campbell would fit the bill and why not try and get Aaron Hughes back? We need experienced replacements not these journeymen who keep popping up in the gossip columns. Ashley has approached his time with NUFC like a wrecking ball and I still think a lot of his attitude is malicious.
roscoe
Aug 16, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Comment #10enrique is one of our best players, if not The best. cannot afford to lose another defender and certainly not him!
ieffrey
Aug 16, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Comment #11Don’t sell Enrique!
He’s shown us his quality and fighting spirit last night!
I believe he would be a world-class left-back in 3 years!
Nick D
Aug 16, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Comment #12Why Sol Campbell.
Isn’t he just the type of aging, injury prone has- been on huge wages we are trying to shift. As w ehave seen so often, experience is no good sat in the changing room.
Sol was very good, but is in rapid decline these days. If Colo goes bring on Kadar. it’s a shame we got rid of Edgar, he could have been good at this level
frankyong
Aug 16, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Comment #13doesnt mind of losing them as long as we replace with better player and in time, this will cut a lot for the wage bill.
Ericles
Aug 16, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Comment #14I think Nick D might be right about Campbell. I agree that we should not have let Edgar go and that Kadar should be given his chance. As for Enrique? We must keep him as the best LB in the Coca Cola – he can only develop better as I think Xisco will if given a chance. Is that Ashley’s thinking – let Carroll go because we have Xisco? Let Krul go because we have local lad Forster waiting in the wings? Ah well, Sunday bloody Sunday.
M.Stockley
Aug 16, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Comment #15i agree enrique is arguably the best lb in the championship. we need to keep him if poss….collo just frightens me whenever he is near the ball, worth taking a massive loss just to get him off the wage bill
punk skunk...
Aug 16, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Comment #16Keep Enrique…Top player, that will defo get better!..
…Colo, i’d still hoy him in at DM, he’s got skills, just not as CB…
spiderpig
Aug 16, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Comment #17enrique has been our best player last 2 games.solid tackling,positional awareness and gets forward well.his delivery is alot better than jonas.altho they are linking up a lot better.
Fans Should Own The Club
Aug 16, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Comment #18Do we even have cover at LB, let alone losing a very good player like Enrique, who’s going to fill in?
M.Stockley
Aug 16, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Comment #19fans should own the club- the tea lady at this rate