Even with the transfer fee from Andy Carroll available to spend this summer, any players Newcastle pay money for, are very likely to still be younger players, 26 year-old and younger, who can still improve.
Max Gradel – a Newcastle target this summer?
The only difference from that profile will be when free agents are available, and we think one older player Newcastle may want to acquire in the summer is 29 year-old Swedish striker Johan Elmander, whose contract at Bolton runs out in June.
Young players who are also free agents are even better, which is why we think Newcastle will do all they can to bring Sebastian Larsson to Tyneside this summer, and we’ve always thought the 25 year-old would be a good signing for Newcastle.
The local Sunday Sun suggested yesterday that Alan Pardew was still interested in the Ivory Coast left winger at Leeds United – Max Gradel, and of course Newcastle were said to be interested in this player last month.
The 23 year-old winger/striker has now played 54 times for Leeds United with 13 goals and looks a skillful player, who should see his first Ivory Coast International cap very soon.
Max started his career at Leicester City in 2006, and also spent some time on loan at Bournemouth, before joining Leeds last summer, after being on loan to the Yorkshire club the previous season.
It will depend very much on whether Leeds United can gain promotion to the Premier League this seaosn, and if they do they will want to hang onto their best players, and also recruit some experienced PL players too, which is why we think Alan Smith may be headed back to his home town club this summer, if Leeds are indeed promoted.
Alan Pardew also came out over the weekend and disagreed with Joey Barton that you always need to pay out big money to get good players – and if you pay out peanuts you get monkeys – as Joey unfortunately put it.
Alan Pardew is well aware of some good players in the lower leagues, and Newcastle may see at least one of them join Newcastle this summer, which seems to be a summer season of consolidation and squad strengthening for the famous Tyneside club, following the departure of Andy Carroll to Liverpool for £35M last month.
Comments welcome.
24 comments so far
G
Feb 21, 2011 at 11:17 AM
Comment #1Not sure about Gradel stepping up like, but the transfer phillosophy is a good one. Buy em young, build em big?
toonfan09
Feb 21, 2011 at 11:28 AM
Comment #2watched gradel play both games against arsenal seemed to be anonymous in both games and before people start to say well that was arsenal he will have to play against teams like arsenal in the pl
jesus was a geordie
Feb 21, 2011 at 11:48 AM
Comment #3I think Joey had a point, although I think he was talking in generalities rather than specific players…After all, Danny Simpson was what? 500k?
As I said though, he was right that we need to strengthen in the right way, and spending shite money on shite players will get us nowhere!
Yes pick up some bargains, but if we wanna push on, we need the players to do so!
clinta2
Feb 21, 2011 at 11:59 AM
Comment #4Agree with some of whats said above. We have money so can afford a couple of big signings if they are the roght ones (for a change). But we should also still be looking for the right players on the cheap- our squad is way too small.
youngtoonfan
Feb 21, 2011 at 12:17 PM
Comment #5I would like gervinho and then another proven goal scoring striker and then the rest just youngsters that have potential. 🙂
The Entertainers
Feb 21, 2011 at 12:18 PM
Comment #6You don’t need to blow millions on every player but you need quality players down the spine of any team. Striker , midfielder and central defender. And you’ll stand a better chance of getting on of those the more money you spend. Look a Wenger he has struggled to find a central defender due to lack of money available and he’s the master of the transfer Market!
We have colo at back and Barton in midfield, we desperately need a top notch striker!
Hope there’s a bit of cash splashing, a few frees and some risky younger signings !
Rotonda heights
Feb 21, 2011 at 12:35 PM
Comment #7toonfan09
I guess you missed him winning the penalty and generally working his socks off in both games.Glad you’re not a scout !!
Ryan_NUFC88
Feb 21, 2011 at 12:36 PM
Comment #8http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20110220/united-arrive-in-italy_2281670_2298039
Noticed previously there has been alot of talk about where Fabio Zamblera had gone, he’s in the youth squad according to the above article.
Thought he’d left ages ago…
TOONlegends
Feb 21, 2011 at 12:40 PM
Comment #9Totally agree with this transfer policy!
Look at what we’ve getting so far with the likes of Simpson, williamson, best, tiote and ben arfa!
I think if Ireland proves himself then why not as long as he’s not demanding stupid wages and villa don’t demand silly money for him!
Gradel, lallana, whickham, llarson, krancjar, how much do you think these would cost? I’m not saying buy all of these but these type of players!
Think we need cover at left and right back or even a right back to take simpsons place! A couple of strikers whickham gervinho or elmander if he’s free! Then 2 or 3 midfielder! Krancjar, gradel, llarson, Ireland!
Will be an interesting summer for nufc! Just hope we can keep our beat players and bring in some good hard working players who want to play for the club!
Think of the players who jumped ship when we went down…with the exception of milner? Which players have gone onto better things?
Given??
Beye??
Oba??
Edgar??
Bassong??
Geremi??
Viduka??
Owen??
None of these can get a game?
Duff and Charlie are playin regular but have they really moved onto better things? Bettered their careers? Nothing beats playing in front of 52000 at st James park!
toonfan09
Feb 21, 2011 at 12:41 PM
Comment #10funnily u shud mention that i am a scout for semi pro team as i use to play before injury ended it for me he one one penalty in a 180 minutes he lost the ball his passing was wasteful his off the ball movement was poor i could list more if u like just cos u work ur socks off doesnt make you a good player i have probably forgotten more about how to play football than you know
che84
Feb 21, 2011 at 12:43 PM
Comment #11I am so tired of hearing about Andy Carroll and the £35M.
gorskino10
Feb 21, 2011 at 12:54 PM
Comment #12Scored 10 goals for a attacking winger thats very good, he looks dangerous sometimes he rushes and loses the ball a bit but usually he has nice touches and quick turn of speed, end of the day if he cannot get in the starting 11 we need a player like him as backup to be subbed on when there defence is tired and we need a quick winger etc.. basically doijg what Routledge shud of done be4 he went on loan. would be good to buy him for 500k and Alan Smith!
Sir Erec
Feb 21, 2011 at 12:57 PM
Comment #13To be honest lads, I can see us having an ok summer transfer window. However, let’s not get carried away, some people on earlier posts are spouting off way too high quality players for our likes just at the moment, not to mention, the sheer number of players that are being hoped for. I don’t see us bringing in much more than four players, as that itself is already a decent number of incoming faces.
For the people who kept saying how they want N’Zogbia back… do we just turn a blind eye to what nonsense he stirred up here before? I sure hope not.
Desperately hope we don’t land Carlton Cole.
I’d rather have Elmander on a free, but not for four years, maybe 2 years plus option of 1 more year.
Does anyone else think that Leicester’s Andy King could potentially become a pretty decent EPL player at the rate he is performing for Wales? Just a thought…
My players I’d like to see us try to go for:
Vladimir Weiss
Johan Elmander
Carlos Vela
Matthew Taylor
Niko Krancjar
Sylvain Marveaux
Juan Albin
Maybe try a cheeky bid for upcoming free agent Mahamadou Diarra from Real Madrid
Dries Mertens
toonfan09
Feb 21, 2011 at 1:06 PM
Comment #14gorskin ur right he is just a younger version of routelge with slightly better distribution would be relitviley cheap he needs to sort his decision making thought thats my main problem with him
wynsleap
Feb 21, 2011 at 2:37 PM
Comment #15Sorry for being so negative but Gradel, Larsson and Elmander will not take our club onto the next level.
I personally don’t think any of them is better than what we’ve currently got.
The buying of top young talent to bring through the ranks is the right way to go but for the first team (and especially if we use the £35mill. – I know, I know!)- we have to aim our sights higher than those three.
Carefully researched signings like Ben Arfa, Tiote and Williamson, none of whom cost a fortune is the way to go. Especially needed are two good strikers as another season with Ameobi, Best and Lovenkrands is NOT the answer.
wynsleap
Feb 21, 2011 at 2:40 PM
Comment #16Forgot to say – can you see Liverpool bidding for any of those three? According to many on these blogs we are aiming to go past them.
BergenVikingToon85
Feb 21, 2011 at 3:06 PM
Comment #17what about Ched Evans??
Dyer8
Feb 21, 2011 at 4:46 PM
Comment #18Bendtner > Remy > Wickham
Gameiro > Sturridge > Welbeck
A.Johnson > Coleman > Weiss > Hoilett
Gibbs > van Annholt > Bertrand
Walker > Noughton
C.Clark > P.Jones > Boyata
GeordieTwo
Feb 21, 2011 at 4:53 PM
Comment #19I could only see us bringing in 3 players in the summer unless we send a lot out. Hard to predict what Pardew will do but forget players approaching 30 except on a free like Elmander. Hard to say how he would do for us as he becomes invisible fairly often. Gervinho for me and a quality pacy attacking midfielder. Perch and Smith should leave and probably Campbell as well. If Jonas leaves we will definitely need a winger. Still plenty of question marks in the squad. Lets see how the younger players like Vuckic Ferguson and Airey do in this tournament in Italy. One or two of these 3 should be moved up to the squad next season. Lots to think about in the summer.
ZidaneMan
Feb 21, 2011 at 6:12 PM
Comment #20Alan Dzagoev
Daniel Villalva
Connor Wickham
Marc Muniesa
Or similar types of players to these.
Also would not mind a good strong striker Ezquiel Lavezzi would be excellent and would work his socks off for the team.
Rotonda heights
Feb 21, 2011 at 7:10 PM
Comment #21toonfan09
The ego has well and truly landed there mate.
Lesson number one, just because other people have different opinions to you doesn’t make you right.
let’s see – I’m 49, have the UEFA B license, have coached FA, Coerver, Futebol de Salao, worked with the French Football federation and played semi pro in USA and Mexico.
Arsenal play keep ball and everyone has to work their socks off. Like I said glad you’re not our scout. Just end your sentence ” I have probably forgotten more about how to play football ” and that would be about right.
Charlietoon
Feb 21, 2011 at 8:42 PM
Comment #22With all the talk of who should come and go it really is a wonder that we demand/expect players put the club first and buy into the whole part of the club notion buts lets face it the moment they have lost a bit of pace or no longer look first team we are very quick to say ship em off with to no concerns about their lives after NUFC. I spose getting paid 20gs a week or more helps em cope.
big_g
Feb 21, 2011 at 9:38 PM
Comment #23wot match were u watching toonfan09 gradel played good at the emirates even the commentators gave him a high rating obv ya dont know much about football his overall play was mint hes looking to be a good player
Pigott93
Feb 21, 2011 at 9:41 PM
Comment #24I think max gradel wud be a great signing my friend is a leeds fan and always talking about how gud he is and ive seen him play a gud few times 2 and i woz very impressed