Reports today that another French youngster seems to have attracted the attention of Newcastle United.
Martin Mimoun – 17 year-old attacking midfielder
It’s PSG youngster Martin Mimoun who is reported in today’s Sunday Sun to have attracted the Tyneside club’s interest, and this lad is an attacking midfielder who turns 18 in June.
Martin has recently graduated from France’s famous National Academy at Clairefontaine.
Clairefontaine is one of France’s nine elite youth academies that take only the very best players in the area and train them.
The others are at Castelmaurou, Châteauroux, Liévin, Dijon, Marseille, Ploufragan, Vichy and Reims – with the Clairefontaine Academy being about 30 miles southwest of Paris at Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines.
Mimoun is a gifted attacking midfielder whose father played for Morocco, and Newcastle have recently been attending numerous games in France at both the Junior and Ligue 1 level scouting many different youngsters.
Previously Newcastle have been linked with strikers Andre-Pierre Gignac and Bafetimbi Gomis.
We do expect Newcastle to bring in a number of top teenagers in the summer, and maybe three or four senior players to bolster the squad ready for life back in the Premiership.
The youngster was born in Compiegne and stands about 5’9″ tall, and with Martin being just 17 year-old there doesn’t seem to be a lot of information on the youngster, so if any of our French readers know about the lad – what’s he like?
The word is that he will be leaving PSG this summer.
Comments welcome.
25 comments so far
MarkO
May 9, 2010 at 11:22 AM
Comment #1If its ttrue then great, but it wont be
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 9, 2010 at 11:34 AM
Comment #2I really really hope this is true, he is an unbeleivable talent, he is like a luka modeic kind of player but will be even better. Please god be true. I like the youngerns were being linked with atm
AngerOfTheNorth
May 9, 2010 at 11:39 AM
Comment #3I’ve never heard of the lad before, but this seems to be the quality of young players we need to be bringing in… Either way, this lad sounds promising!
P.I.
May 9, 2010 at 11:43 AM
Comment #4Always good to hear noises that we are being linked with young talent. Build for the future and all that. No idea who he is but if we can get young players with big reputations, like Harris Vukic then great.
Rotonda heights
May 9, 2010 at 11:55 AM
Comment #5Just wish Hughton could see it and give them a chance. It’s great we are being linked , but other clubs actually play their youngsters. Krul, Kadar, Carroll & Ranger have looked good when called upon and I’m sure Vuksic could step up too.
best is relatively young but has been a complete waste of money. I hope that after buying Best, Hughton doesn’t go overly Irish with people like Hunt & Long etc. Nothing racist at all, just they aren’t all that !
Toon1978
May 9, 2010 at 12:04 PM
Comment #6If we were to bring in 4 seniour players and 3 top youngstersthen that would be awesome PROVIDED we keep hold of Vuckic and other top youngsters. If NUFC keep bringing in these kids then we are onto a bright future. Thats hoping ASH doesn’t sell them on at a young age. We need to keep these lads at NUFC until they hit the age of 28- 29 and sell them on for huge profits. Do not sell them in the teens and mid twenties. The last thing we want NUFC to become is a feeder club.
Newutd
May 9, 2010 at 12:24 PM
Comment #7How do you know, gg7?
Seems exciting though, as he is a part of the Clairefontaine academy.
BT7MAG
May 9, 2010 at 12:52 PM
Comment #8I’m sorry but this ‘Hughton doesn’t play youth’ thing is a myth!
FA Cup/Carling Cup – Hughton had loads of kids out (8 in 1 go if i’m not mistaken).
– Ranger has played 30 times this season.
– Krul has played all cup games and 2 league games, he didn’t play more because Harper has been our most successful goal keeper in years!
– Carroll has been a first team regular.
– Danny Simpson has started nearly every game this season.
– Danny Guthrie took his chance well and was rewarded with a starting berth for the last half of the season.
He has shown amazing man management…
If he plays Nile Ranger (who hasn’t been prolific) ahead of Leon Best (a player suffering from confidence issues) how does that help moral?
If he plays Vuckic ahead of Smith, Raylor, Butt, Nolan, Guthrie – how does that help moral?
In Hughton We Trust!!!
darryl burleigh
May 9, 2010 at 12:53 PM
Comment #9rotunda heights; whats wrong with buying irish? given, carr, duff, were all irish. did you not what them at the club? fair does carr and duff never excelled, but still are good enough in prem at other clubs! and you had the cheek to call me racist when an i was dicussing that the fact than a american on here didnt know what he weas talking about!! pot calling the kettle black now pal!! oh by the we realeased two players he said should be in the squad before williamson and ameobi! listen to this replace williamson with callum morris and shola with wesley ngo baheng??? i dont talk shit mate. do i?
darryl burleigh
May 9, 2010 at 12:54 PM
Comment #10BT7MAG: about time someone on this site spoke some sence!
BT7MAG
May 9, 2010 at 1:02 PM
Comment #11As for this 17 year old, magic, sign him up.
I’m all for signing youth. YES, we need senior players, but for years we were short sighted, buying old, expensive players.
The way we’re going, we’re buying 2/3 quality youngsters in every position, meaning we’ll have competition for places and enough lads to be able sell for profits without damaging the squad.
Simple, sensible business!
Newutd
May 9, 2010 at 1:23 PM
Comment #12BT7MAG – Myth? No
I don’t remember the cup-games, but what else could he do? Ofcourse he had to spare the older players for the championship.
Krul – can be excused as Harper had a good season. Could get more games do, he is class.
Nile Ranger – 30 matches. Give me a break. He started only 6 of them (4 in PL, 1 in FA and 1 in League cup).
Carroll – He is class. Good call from Hughton.
Danny Simpson and Danny Guthrie??? For gods sake, they’re 23 years old.
Nile showed enough, even though he wasn’t prolific, to get the first team spot ahead of an overall shite Best. He really didn’t do anything right those 6 matches he started + the substitutes (expect giving an “assist). Nile is way more talented, and that for me counts more than helping a mediocre 24 year old guy with personal problems.
Vuckic could get 30-20 minutes in a match now an then without ruining any moral.
Mags
May 9, 2010 at 1:34 PM
Comment #13BT7Mag – Good Comments.
NewUtd (12) Do you not remember that Vuckic was out for 9 MONTHS this season, so he could not have been used until the latter end of the season. He came back after Joey Barton into the squad which was April.
StuW
May 9, 2010 at 1:41 PM
Comment #14I have seen him play, he played in a youth tournament in La Manga last summer. He looks very good, a mix of Fabregas and Gourcuff, very creative, seems to have a sixth sense with his vision, which sets him up as a French national player in a few years.
Newutd
May 9, 2010 at 1:47 PM
Comment #15Mags –
Tell that to BT7MAG
I was just giving my point of view about what he said.
Toon1978
May 9, 2010 at 1:53 PM
Comment #16Get him now before the big greedy clubs go sniffing. The likes of Chelsea,Man utd and Arsenal especially nicking all the young talent around Europe. Thats not a bad thing lol but we need to be quicker. NUFC seem to take to much time. If the kid is that good then get him snapped up ASAP.
repo
May 9, 2010 at 3:11 PM
Comment #17no chance as Arsenal and Manusa are looking at him..
we wont sign this type of player..
BT7MAG
May 9, 2010 at 3:15 PM
Comment #18Newutd, Simpson was 22 when the season started, still fairly young in a defender and although yes, 23 is not youth, it can’t be denied that they’re still in the category of young, developing players!
I deliberately didn’t include Vuckic because of his injury.
As for Ranger, I’m well of aware of the talent he displayed earlier in the season, I was one of his biggest fans, I was in the crowd shouting for his inclusion. BUT.
– I’m also aware that he is a notoriously poor trainer
– he showed an unwillingness to shoot when he did play (at first i praised his unselfishness but this became detrimental to his game eventually)
– he held the ball up fantastically at the beginning of the season, but as this year has gone his first touch has become fairly poor (granted most players need a bit of time to settle and he is making fleeting appearances).
– he has many of the attributes to become a fantastic footballer, but he isn’t there yet!
Hughton has already suggested that Best is going to stay for at least another season, so I ask you again, how would playing a 19 year old with a poor scoring record ahead of him help his confidence and moral, when he is clearly suffering from confidence issues already.
I’m not Best’s biggest fan, he’s had some absolutely terrible games this season HOWEVER I’d also say some of his hold up play, his strength and his willingness to keep trying/keep shooting has been decent.
I’m not saying he WILL do well, but with a decent pre-season and a bit of momentum I wouldn’t be shocked to see him notching close to 10 goals next season!
Newutd
May 9, 2010 at 4:02 PM
Comment #19How do you know Nile is a poor trainer?
But as you say, he has many of the attributes to become a fantastic football player, but to become that he have to play. We surely could have played him more in the Championship.
I would still play Nile, because I rate both Ameobi (just), Loven and Carroll over Best. It is better to develop a huge talent instead of wasting time on dead meat. I can’t see how Best can get any games unless we have heaps of injuries in our attacking force. I hope and expect we buy a class striker too, so by then he will be even further down the pecking order.
But let’s see in the pre-season. My bet is that, if Best plays, he will continue doing the same he has done so far in Newcastle- nothing.
Everyone with their opinion, but that is mine.
repo
May 9, 2010 at 4:54 PM
Comment #20Ranger is out of favour with Hughton cause its his party life style always down the big market..
and i can see him getting sold tbh..
baro
May 9, 2010 at 5:07 PM
Comment #21Sign him right now!! We have to put a whole bunch of talented youngsters in our academy. Hopefully a couple of them can be rising stars. 🙂
Here is a video of him, notice he is left foot and plays left wing. He never used his right foot but twice and scored once. 🙂 He has nice crosses and brilliant dribbling just likes to walk like Jonas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwJleVW3qDY
Newutd
May 9, 2010 at 6:21 PM
Comment #22baro – except for Ranger not being prioritized, there is nothing of late which says that Ranger still has this party life style. It’s rumors, give the kid a break. There is no way we should sell him. He is potential class.
Rotonda heights
May 9, 2010 at 7:13 PM
Comment #23burleigh not really following you there mate ?
I don’t mean the Irish generally aren’t all that, just those partcular 2 players. I lived in Dublin for 5 years and am going out with an Irish lass !
baro
May 9, 2010 at 7:36 PM
Comment #24Newutd
And why did you write my name?? I did not write anything about Ranger, look more carefully. I did not mention anything about us selling Nile Ranger. That would just make me look really stupid.
Newutd
May 9, 2010 at 11:48 PM
Comment #25Haha, sorry mate.
Same amount of letters and some of them alike.
REPO – #22 was for you.