News in The Sun today that Newcatsle have launched a £7M bid for Reading striker Shane Long.
24 year-old reading striker Shane Long
We’ve been waiting to see if Newcastle’s bid for PSG’s Mevlut Erdinc has been successful, but if the news yesterday that Erdinc wanted to stay at PSG is true, Newcastle may have gone after another striker.
The news is that Newcastle have offered £5M plus Leon Best for the Irishman – so that’s a 9£M bid, isn’t it?
The Sun is reporting it’s a £7M bid, but Best was up for sale for £4M.
Is Shane Long that much better than Leon Best?
Long has been valued at a rather high £10M, and Everton and West Brom are also said to be interested.
We have no idea if this news is true, although it does seem that Newcastle want to bring in a second striker soon, and certainly before the American tour starts in less than two weeks time.
Last seaosn Shane hit 25 goals in 50 appearances with Reading and in 200 total appearances for the side since 2005, has 54 goals.
And Long has 21 appearances for Ireland with 6 goals – which is not too bad at all – we wonder if he can speak French though?
😀
Alan Pardew is big friends with Reading manager Brian McDermott, and if Newcastle are indeed interested we think a deal could be struck fairly quickly.
Comments welcome.
48 comments so far
PHOENIXNIGHTS
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:19 AM
Comment #1Bring him in please – I cannot believe all the people on here who say no. He has massive potential and can hit the back of the net on a regular basis – unlike Shola and Ranger.
Spike
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:21 AM
Comment #2I wonder whose phone the Sun owners News International hacked to get that story?
Xavi
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:21 AM
Comment #3long is ok.
but sturridge is the player we should be focusing on
kentonmags
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:22 AM
Comment #4PHOENIXNIGHTS
totally agree mate he has quality
TK
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:24 AM
Comment #5Why are we offering Best as the makeweight?
He’s younger, less injury-prone and probably more useful to us than Shola is… and Shola did well in the championship, surely that would enamour him to a championship club we wanted to do business with?
Toonboy_84
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:27 AM
Comment #6Can’t help but think Long only had 1 good season. He is a worker though
PHOENIXNIGHTS
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:27 AM
Comment #7The thing with Long is he can create his own goals, he is not one of these guys who needs to be on the end of a cross, or on the goal line for a tap in – he creates his own stuff. Admitadly in the Championship however the lad has held his own in cup games against the bigger teams.
connor_nufc
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:31 AM
Comment #8Says in the journal that we are not going for long
Also says were not doing any business until after the start of the season
gorgonzola
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:32 AM
Comment #9he has massive potential? if he has massive potential and is 7mil then Erdinc should be 100 mil..>I hate to say it…. this is rather confusing… I am not for this championship player sorry 🙁
G
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:33 AM
Comment #10Lots of contrasting stories going on about this one. Don’t think I would pay £7M for a player not proven in the top flight. In fact, come to think of it, I don’t think MA would either. This is from the Sun though, so take it with a pinch of salt anyway.
BiggMarketBoy
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Comment #11The journal offered some sad reading today…
Irie-Magpie
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Comment #12Sorry but we have enough squad players, maybe scumberland will make a bid for him..
JohnnyBrookes
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Comment #13Anyone still upbeat I suggest you read the last paragraph on this page:
http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2011/07/07/newcastle-united-s-hopes-for-mevlut-erdinc-hang-in-balance-61634-29009173/
It is completely ludicrous to go into the new season with what we have now, we have spent nothing, and will end up with if Ba gets an injury Lover, Shola,Ranger,Best, if we are lucky. What a f**** farce. I have maintained that I would give Fat boy this window to prove me wrong. I for one will not be attending games buying merch if we don not spend some cash.
Say what you want “I’m not a real fan” etc etc, but I would rather that than, end up with NUFC being stripped down and ruined by the owner. Face facts, the Scousers managed to do it, they got some ridicule but they are in w ay better position now. I would rather do something now and get rid of MA, than sit and take this rubbish,
geoff777
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Comment #147M ?? by the time we pay agents, signing on fees and wages that’ll rise to somewhere near …. 35M?
Rather have Sturridge.
TS -77
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Comment #1525 goals last season in the Championship is not bad at all. Carroll managed what? 19-20 ? And then moved on in a 35 million deal.
I say bring him in.
roshan MAGPIE
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:39 AM
Comment #16rather have best than long
SaulToon
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:39 AM
Comment #17I would love for us to keep Best and see if his goals where a fluke or if he’s found his feet. Also in no way is Long worth 10mill. He’s got lots of potential but so does Danny Graham and he only went for 3.5M. I’d say Long is worth 5M tops
TS -77
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:40 AM
Comment #18But of course I rather see us lodge a bid to take Sturridge to Newcastle.
gorgonzola
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:41 AM
Comment #19Johnny
“The crucial bit in that piece is at the bottom of the first page where we are told United do not expect to do much business between now and the start of the season. I thought we were going to be signing someone before the American tour, and another player before the start of the season. So very gradually realisation is dawning. None of the Carroll money will be spent on transfer fees. Our strikeforce will be the injury-prone and pedestrian people we are used to. We will be going into the new season without a single player with a track record of scoring regularly in the Premiership. And there’s Del Boy saying we need to hold money back to buy in January ‘if we need to.’ It’s absolutely amazing.”
ALso another quote well worth mentioning….
I have to agree with you in a way must say….
jaw4life
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:42 AM
Comment #20Did anyone see yesterday that Williams Hill opened betting on N’zogbia’s next club….NUFC started off at 2/1 and AVFC at 8/11……Cwarr07 posts it and NUFC moved to 8/11 and AVFC to 11/8 literally an hour after…..wow….
archaeomag
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:43 AM
Comment #21@spike
Agreed they hacked MA phone for this one, unless he’s asking a Sun reporters advice on transfer business.
elpaso_geordie
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:44 AM
Comment #22Pi*s poor show if this is true ………………………
If we were gonna take a chance on a championship striker then it should have been Wickham end of ……
TS -77
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:46 AM
Comment #23At the moment we have Ba, Ameobi, Best, Lovenkrants, Ranger and Xisco fightning for one spot. That if Ben Arfa takes the nr 10 role. thats competion for sure!
Wouldnt mind see Ameobi take a new challenge at West Ham in the Championship and have Best, and Xisco (havnt given up on him yet) compete as backup for Ba.
geordiejohn
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:46 AM
Comment #24I think Shane Long would be a good buy and we should keep Leon Best and get rid of Shola and Lovenkrands,also keep Ranger and get a goalscoring coach to work with him.
Dannyo
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:47 AM
Comment #25It’s so silly watching people like “JohnnyBrookes” saying he will not attend matches if we dont spend any money. Frankly it’s downright pathetic.
We have brought in 3 highly regarded players, all of national degree. And we for two of em, we havent spent a dime in transfer fees. That is pure genius if u ask me. If i could walk around having a £35 million as an insurance should something “come up”, and still live a healthy good life outside of that “insurance”, i’d be a extremely happy man.
Cause it means when a unsettled star player becomes available, and i have the means to get him, then i can. Without those 35 mill, i couldn’t have done that.
Now stop being so greedy, and see things as they are. We have have improved our squad immensly, without spending a pound. It’s pure genius.
Klatoon
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:47 AM
Comment #26Dont know what to make of him,other than the stats and ratios. Any insights into his style of play? Thx
ochytoon
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:48 AM
Comment #27Well he did better than any of our players did in the Championship so why not. I’d be pleased if we bought him. However, I would only pay £5 million for him. Oh and for whoever said we should have bought Wickham, he is shit so I’m glad he went to the Mackems
jesperfuglsang
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:49 AM
Comment #28We haven’t launched a £ 7 mil. bid for Shane Long; we’re not even interested. We have our own Championship striker in Best and rumors has it that we’re looking to sell.
Journalist in Britain really are lazy; guess they get payed per article and not for content.
Spike
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:49 AM
Comment #29Gorgonzola,
Thats a good point about Llamearse saying we need to hold money back to buy in January “if we need to”. We will get to January, be told that we didin’t need to buy (even though we probably will) and then what happens to the money? Goes to pay off the debt?
I think MA has the ambition to get as much as possible for as little investment as possible.
We’ll probably end up selling a star performer in January and be told – well we did try to get a replacement but were quoted stupis prices.
ilovetoon8788
Jul 7, 2011 at 9:55 AM
Comment #30Always wanted him here. Bayern Munich are sniffing around for Shane Long. Hope we make our move fast. He’s pure quality.
scottnufc87
Jul 7, 2011 at 10:00 AM
Comment #31Simple fact shane long not good enough proved that last time reding was in the PL.more proof newcastle cannot attract big names any more. And as far as sturridge goes am sik of hearing about him the way uz go on hes the best forward in the league lets not forget if he was that good wud chelsea let him go? People need to get over it we r not in for sturridge borin borin crack on here at times.
P.I.
Jul 7, 2011 at 10:06 AM
Comment #32@Dannyo
How can you say it’s pure genius that we’ve brought 3 players in for no money when the same men you are kissing the arse of have turned around this week and said we’ve spent a large amount of money on securing these free transfers?
Ba was great for West ham but has doubts over his knee. We’ll have to see how things fair with him. Cabaye comes with a decent reputation but is completely untested in this league. There are absolutely no guarentees he will be an instant success.
Marveaux is apparently ‘pacey’ but looks small and has a reputation for being injured constantly.
We sell a striker for 35million and our next highest goal scorer and buy the above players in for apparently large portions of the 35million.
Pure genius?
Think you’ve been on the drink sunshine…
JGreaves
Jul 7, 2011 at 10:15 AM
Comment #33Leon Best Age 24 – apps 179 gls 44
Shane Long Age 24 – apps 176 gls 46
Leon Best Prem – apps 11 gls 6
Shane Long Prem – apps 50 gls 5
Whats the point in swapping these, or even paying for Long ??
Should be going after Erding, Sturridge or another young, fast striker to compliment Ba
P.I.
Jul 7, 2011 at 10:21 AM
Comment #34@JGreaves
Some interesting stats pal.
Personally i think we need to be looking at someone more exciting than Long. The powers that be wont spend any cash though so it’s bargain buys all-round.
Cant get Erding for 7m? Bid 5m for Long. Cant get Long? Bid 3m for Carlton Cole.
Bloody cheap skates man. Tighter than a fish’s arse.
Dannyo
Jul 7, 2011 at 10:28 AM
Comment #35@ P.I. // Jul 7, 2011 at 10:06 AM
Well, Derek is right. If you say he’s wrong, it’s just plain ignorant. There are wages, sign on fees for players, sign on fees for agents. Plus whatever additional bonuses they decide include in a contract, which usually is a few.
There are very few things in this world thats free. Football players is not one of em.
What you people want is for us to splash a minimum of £10 million for every player we buy, what u don’t realize is that these players are as prone to flops as the ones that are free. Marcelino, Luque, Guivarch, Goma(or something), to name a few. With the insanely overpriced english marked, i doubt that there are many we’d go for atm. And i think u’d agree.
I’ll bet if we spent 20£ mill on those 3 players, people would be happier. Thats the twisted way of poorely objective Newcastle fans.
And i’m not kissing asses, i agree with some and i disagree with some, but thats cause i see things objectivly, as opposed to many others.
samigee14
Jul 7, 2011 at 10:32 AM
Comment #36I will be gutted if we sign long and no other top striker. long and demba ba upfront will not be top 10 material. let sunderland have him, they like paying big money for average over rated british players
Geordiedoonsooth
Jul 7, 2011 at 10:41 AM
Comment #37I live near Reading and have watched them a few times and know lots of Reading fans. Long is a very good player very quick & mobile, he is also much better than Best. If we can get him for the reported £7m then I for one would be very happy. He could be a top class player he isn’t worth £10m but he could be in a couple of years.
nikopapavasiliou
Jul 7, 2011 at 10:42 AM
Comment #38taarbat scored 19 or more from midfield in championship as have nolan, whittingham and ambrose. long is 25 years old and has only had one decent season in which he got a minumum of 6 penalties most of which he dived to get. better strikers would be sturridge, borini, scott sinclair or wellbeck. infact ranger is better
repo
Jul 7, 2011 at 10:43 AM
Comment #39long is better than any striker we have on our books get him in now..
also go for Doyle at Wolves as well another work like striker who puts himself about..
both woud’t cost the earth..
geoff777
Jul 7, 2011 at 10:47 AM
Comment #40Sell our local hero No9 for 35M.
You spend a decent chunk of that on a replacement player who can wear the No9 shirt.
Get some money spent you cheapskates.
Zog & Sturridge please.