It’s only three weeks to the transfer window opening in January so watch out for Newcastle being linked with a few players.
Kafoumba Coulibaly – being tracked by Newcastle
One such player is Ivory Coast international and Nice midfielder 26 year-old Kafoumba Coulibaly and news today in the Daily Mirror that the Magpies are readying a bid for Nice midfielder Kafoumba Coulibaly.
The player is similar in style to Cheick Tiote, and is even the same height at 5’10”, but he has played only once for the Ivory Coast, and if Newcastle are really interested in this player, it could mean they will take the £20M said to be offered for Cheick by Chelsea in January.
It is being reported that an offer somehow in the region of £3million should be enough to get Coulibaly on Tyneside.
It even sounds the type of deal Mike Ashley would do – get £20M for a player and then replace him with one that costs £3M, and that’s not meant to be too damming.
That’s because the Newcastle scouting team have proved more than once that they can scout some excellent players, like Yohan Cabay, Demba Ba, Mehdi Abeid and others.
It could well be that Alan Pardew has already been told that star midfielder Cheick Tiote will leave the club in January, and he had better plan on a replacement now.
The 26-year-old is a defensive midfielder and started his career at the much famed Ivorian club ASEC Abidjan in their youth academy, and after playing in Belgium football like Tiote did, he finally moved to Nice in 2008.
He has played 98 times and scored two goals for Nice according to their web-site, and of course Nice are having a difficult season and are second bottom of the French league with 14 points from their 17 games..
We’d be very sorry to see Tiote leave, and hope this Chelsea link could be all paper talk, but we should probably brace ourselves that he could leave Newcastle next month.
Seems like he’s too good to stay at Newcastle.
Comments welcome.
287 comments so far
seantoon
Dec 12, 2011 at 4:30 PM
Comment #1If he goes to Chelsea I’d like them to try get kalou in the deal. Just the type of player we need for the squad.
nimo
Dec 12, 2011 at 4:31 PM
Comment #2Seen this kid.. hes very good.. but is he tiot good and proven in the prem.. nope
Dannyo
Dec 12, 2011 at 4:31 PM
Comment #3If these rumours about Tiote aren’t true, then Pards should come out and say so, cause this has gone on long enough.
Too many rumours for my taste, making me uneasy now.
We’ve been linked with 3 different players today btw, goes to show that the January window is coming ever closer.
I don’t care if the lads cost £3 mill or £30 mill, aslong as they improve or maintain the area which they are bought in on. In Tiotes case, maintain, in Obertans case, improve…
Toon Follower
Dec 12, 2011 at 4:31 PM
Comment #4I will be devastated if Tiote leaves for Chelski 🙁
Toonboy_84
Dec 12, 2011 at 4:34 PM
Comment #5Hope the tank stays. If not then we will move on as always…….. Judas b a stard. Thought I’d be the first to get that ol’ chestnut in 🙂
Scottishtoon95
Dec 12, 2011 at 4:39 PM
Comment #6Reckon we should play hard to get with chelsea over tiote like spurs did with modric, i.e. £35m or £15m+Alex & Sturridge.
Only way to get them to bugger off, or pay up, in which case we win either way.
AP's Black & White Army
Dec 12, 2011 at 4:40 PM
Comment #7I don’t think we’d replace him. Pardew’s remit is to bring through the youths as much as possible, he’s hinted at Abeid, who’s just returned from internationals, as Tiote’s replacement.
seantoon
Dec 12, 2011 at 4:44 PM
Comment #8@AP black&white
We would deffinetly replace him. Mybe your right abeid could step up but in that case we would replace abeid by buying another hot prospect central midfielder. Either way if one man goes out I think another will come in especially if they release smith too in January
blissna
Dec 12, 2011 at 4:50 PM
Comment #9I’d be sad to see Tiote go, but I have faith in Carr.
GeordieGerman
Dec 12, 2011 at 4:53 PM
Comment #10Don’t panic, don’t panic. We sell for big money and buy mostly better replacements on the cheap. In Carr we trust. Another thing. If this continues like this how long till our debt to Ashley is paid? Every cloud………
nightfa11
Dec 12, 2011 at 4:55 PM
Comment #11i hope tiote stays..BUT if we decide to cash in id only be happy if we bring in gourcuff (12 mio) and girdou (13 mio) with that money…& also buy 2 defenders..pieters & that montpelier kid
seantoon
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:00 PM
Comment #12@nightfa11. That would be nice but there’s no chance. I can’t see us spending more than 15mill in january on 3-4 players. Even if tiote leaves for 20-30 mill!
lesh
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:02 PM
Comment #13However, if he is to go and if in fact he does, let’s just take it in our stride.
After all, Ashely professes to have a five year paln for the club and his top prioirty is to put the club’s finances onto a solid foundation.
If that means selling Tiote then so be it as I’m sure the money he brings in can only strengthen the squad and make us stronger for next season.
Remember the song and dance when AC went, then Nolan, Barton – disaster was it? We bought well in the summer and have done pretty well so far.
Assuming we qualified for the Champions League? We’d have to spend a lot of money to by the players to sustain a run – that’s assuming the players bed in instantly. Did that happen with Citeh?
Think about it guys and cry when the milk’s spilt and we’re relegated – is that gonna happen if Tiote goes in January? Although it’s not the best time to sell and replace players, if it happens it happens and fretting’s not gonna change a thing……. or will it?
Willo
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:03 PM
Comment #14Why do we always have to sell our best players? Honestly, Ashley how do you expect to challenge for anything if we keep selling our players as soon as they turn YOU a profit? There’s something to be said for putting the club on a sound financial footing but this is ridiculous. Keep Tiote and Cabaye together and when we get some CB’s back from injury we’ll start another roll. HOWAY THE LADS.
nightfa11
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:05 PM
Comment #15seantoon
yeah i know..but i dont see us challenging the big…6? without proper investment..least not in the long run..
magpie6699
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:05 PM
Comment #162+2 =17. Must be true.
mattyNUFC
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:07 PM
Comment #17ha! gourcuff for 12 mil? are you serious? Lyon paid 22 million euros for him. and you’d only be happy if we got him? he’s as inconsistent as they come. so many other players we could be looking at. I’ve already accepted Tiote’s as good as gone. nothing i nor you nor anyone can do about it besides hope for an adequate replacement. I will say though that tiote’s form is nowhere near where it was last season. he’s had two stand-out games as far as i’m concerned.
Jail for Ashley
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:09 PM
Comment #18GG
I wonder how long it will take to pay back Mike Ashley,
I thought when Liverpools new owners bought into them they were in a lot of debt but instead of asset stripping and getting rid of your highest paid players they have invested upto a hundred million on players,they are not Russian gangsters or a sovereign state nor are they sentemental old fools who have bought the club as a hobby or because they love the people of Liverpool ,they have bought in solely to make money and if they’re successful they surely will,Mike Ashley has bought us to make money and promote SD although in an entirely different manner in the one the Liverpool owners have,its sickening to watch another club been ran like that when we have a billionaire owner who loves to gamble in the casino but who is not prepared to take a gamble on us.
nightfa11
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:09 PM
Comment #19mattyNUFC
gourcuff wants to england..he want to get into france squad..hes not playing at lyon…& he knows half a nufc squad already.. why not? is 25 and is class..
mattyNUFC
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:10 PM
Comment #20but i do agree about giroud….
I surely hope we’ve something better lined up than Maiga
Jail for Ashley
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:15 PM
Comment #21And before I get slated about not being happy about the way the club is being ran ,I would like to say that from a Southern businessmans point of view it is being ran like clockwork from a fans point of view who doesnt want to see his favourite players leave its being run like a personal cashcow for Mike Ashley
mattyNUFC
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:18 PM
Comment #22and in two years with lyon he’s played 25 times with 3 goals and 5 assists? i’m not saying he’s a bad player but i don’t think he’ll cut it when he isn’t injured. just my opinion. rather go for either for Sochaux’s CMs (martin or more realistically boudebaz who i’ve heard is having a much better season) or if we really show ambition (ashley rather) i would love to see either Matuidi or …ah crap, name escapes me but another young french international (full national side), lanky african kid
and i’ve said it before and I think he’s only getting better and better, Wigan’s Diame and he’d be ridiculously cheap, 5mil max. same attributes as tiote but he gets forward more as of late too.
GeordieTwo
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:19 PM
Comment #23Spot on GG @12. Pay Ashley off as quickly as possible. But if he sees Newcastle as an endless supply of cash as long as Carr is around to bring in good cheap replacements how will we ever get rid? That is a real concern now. I think we will find out a lot about the owner’s ambitions from how he handles both Tiote and Colo. We don’t need to sell either as we are already breaking even without even considering the huge profit he has made on player sales. If he sells Tiote for big dosh and moves Colo out either now or in the summer my estimation of Ashley/Llambias will drop even further if that is possible.
traceline
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:20 PM
Comment #24In G.Carr we trust – 12 months ago, losing Tiote would’ve been unthinkable, but now I have faith that if he does go we’ll at least come out of the deal a few mill up with a young and hungry replacement lined up.
However, all this talk of Abeid – he’s not kicked a ball for the 1st team yet (has he? did I miss something?) – more likely that they’d sell tiote, extend guthrie (pay for Colo’s extension too maybe?) and shuffle the rest of the squad “up one”.
Anyway — either way Cheik’s going to have limited involvement between here and the end of Jan due to ACN, so we’re going to have to live without him for a while anyway.
GeordieTwo
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:27 PM
Comment #25Good points traceline @24. Agree totally about Abeid. Everyone raves about him but we haven’t seen him at all in the Prem against the real opposition. Look how poor Gosling was against Norwich. And Gosling has Prem experience and was rated highly by Pardew. Both of these players are nowhere near ready to step in for Tiote. We would absolutely need an excellent replacement brought in with Guthrie as the backup when fit.
bills-son
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:31 PM
Comment #26Willo @ 14 – calm down – we haven’t sold Tiote yet, you talk as if he’s already gone.
Apart from Carroll can anyone tell me a top player that Ashley has cashed in on in the last 3 years? Don’t give me Enrique (end of contract & wanted to leave), Barton (idiot who slagged off MA and was given a free) or Nolan (wanted £60K a week and a 5 year deal). None of these were ‘cashed in’ by Ashley.
So Ashley has cashed in on ONE player in 3 years since we were relegated yet he is called a FGB who sells at the drop of a hat? Its absolute b%ll%x with not a shred of truth in it.
Give the guy stick if he flogs players in Jan – until then stop believing the Jackanory stories in the papers and Eds sesnsationalist headlines.
mattyNUFC
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:32 PM
Comment #27Gdos
i agree about gosling, completely. he’s a looooooong way to go before he should even be allowed to claim a spot on the bench, much less ahead of vuckic and abeid
abeid on the other hand (along with vuckic, but more so the former) has all the attributes to step up. You’re right, i’ve only seen him a handful of times but those times tell me he should definitely be in ahead of gosling, no excuse
Toon1978
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:35 PM
Comment #28Tiote is a good player but if Chelsea do come in with a 20 million pound offer, then i would snap their hands off. Like i said, Tiote is good but at times, he does give the ball away in dangerous areas and has cost us on a few occasions. We paid 3 million or so for him and we can not blame Ashley for selling on, HOWEVER, a replace will be needed for someone as good or someone slightly better. We have a great scouting system to do that. I have heard a more disturbing rumour that Cabaye could be off the Man Utd. That would p1ss me off big time as we have only had him half a bloody season BUT, the big clubs don’t care, they just want to buy up the competition leaving the rest of us to fight over mediocre players.
mattyNUFC
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:36 PM
Comment #29….and how folks can still say guthrie is only a back-up is beyond me. since he’s been in the squad, he’s edged out Cabaye for me no doubt. ofc pardew never picks his team on merit though….
niafron
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:36 PM
Comment #30Bonjour messieurs.
If you speak french, Demba Ba was the guest of luis Fernandez radio show today during one hour.
Here’s the podcast:
http://www.rmcsport.fr/podcast/podcast.php?id=40
(12/12, Partie 2)
GeordieTwo
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:38 PM
Comment #31http://www.transferleague.co.uk/league-tables/2006-2011.html. Take a look at the table on the above link bills-son. It covers 2006-2011. It clearly shows Ashley has cashed in on many young players including Milner and Bassong, not just Carroll. I know it is 5 years not 3 but the point remains the same. The owner has done a lot of profit taking over the last few years. The table has been around for quite a while and has been discussed many times but the data speaks for itself.
GeordieGerman
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:39 PM
Comment #32Toon1978, I’m sure a player has to spend a season at a club before he can be sold on. I could be wrong?
GeordieGerman
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:41 PM
Comment #33G2, Milner and Bassong wanted away.
ochytoon
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:41 PM
Comment #34I have accepted that tiotes off, constant rumors, no denial and this mysterious injury although I don’t really buy into the latter that much. My main concern is that we won’t buy a suitable replacement. I only see us getting a centre back at best, probably ridgewell :(, I highly doubt the maiga rumors and can see pards saying they players available weren’t right for the club, how they were to expensive or how he didn’t want to disrupt the team
Toon1978
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:42 PM
Comment #35Geordietwo
To be fair, both Bassong and Carroll have failed to produce the goods at their respective clubs so the money Ashley has received for both players seems good business atm. Milner on the other hand was a mistake by Ashley and it left us with not width down the right hand side. Now Milner is one of the best players in the EPL imo. Good luck to him.
niafron
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:42 PM
Comment #36Demba said the Newcastle U14 team will play a tournament in Paris.
So finally, i will maybe see some Magpies playing!
davybtoon
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:43 PM
Comment #37Alrite lads what’s the crack with maiga having a medical tomorrow anyone heard owt all over the French press?
On tiote Chelsea don’t need him n man utd won’t pay what we will want for him
niafron
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:47 PM
Comment #38Davybtoon
Here’s the story:
http://www.foot01.com/foot-europeen/maiga-fait-ses-valises-pour-newcastle,81437
They said he’s coming for 7 millions euros. He will be at the club the first of January.
GeordieTwo
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:49 PM
Comment #39I guess my main point to those that responded is take a look at where we stand in that table and what we have spent compared to what Ashley has earned. Some would say that is good business and with hindsight the Carroll deal looks fantastic but Bassong may have improved steadily with playing time especially under Hoots and Pardew and as GG said we have really never replaced Milner properly (no offense to Obertan but not in the same class). Overall we don’t spend enough to even keep a solid squad (look at the state we’re in now in defence with only 2 injuries) and we are too cheap to keep players who have become great players because of our wage cap. Prepare to say goodbye to Colo in January or the summer simply because we won’t even match his current wage! The supply of excellent cheap young players is not endless even from Carr. We will come a cropper with this policy eventually. No Europa league for us with our current owner/MD I’m afraid. Sorry for the long post.
davybtoon
Dec 12, 2011 at 5:50 PM
Comment #40See at @leeryder on twitter even suggesting the maiga medical is true