Newcastle fans were stunned and delighted at the club capturing 26 year old striker Papiss Cisse yesterday, and the lad will wear the Newcastle number 9 shirt.
24-year-old Yohan Benalouane of Cesena is potential target
Now Newcastle need to bring in a center-back who can get the job done for Newcastle in case Coloccini or Williamson are injured through the end of the season.
That’s important because with the win against Manchester United and the 1-0 win last Sunday against QPR, Newcastle are in a position to finish high up in the Premier League and qualify for Europe next season.
They are now seeking a central defender, with Cesena’s 24-year-old Yohan Benalouane the latest name in the frame, and there was some news yesterday that he could be arriving on loan.
We’re not sure how much money Alan has to spend in January, but a loan deal for Benaloune could be on the cards.
What worries us a little is that he’s not a starter for Cesena and has only played in the Cup competitions this season, and he’s regularly on the bench for the league games.
We have to wonder just how good this 24 year-old 6’1″ center-back is if he cannot make Cesena’a first team.
Since he is a sub at Cesena we suppose that makes him available to come on loan through the end of the season at Newcastle.
The news was that a Newcastle scout was in the stands to watch the Tunisian in a Coppa Italia tie at Napoli last week, according to a report in the French daily, L’Equipe.
The 24 year-old 6’1″ French-born Tunisian joined Saint Etienne back in 2006, and he played about 62 times for the French club before he moved to Cesena in 2010.
Benalouane played once for the French U21 side, but he has never played for Tunisia, and again we have to wonder how good this lad is if he is not a regular player for Tunisia?
Maybe Benaloune could be a stop-gap solution and the club could take a look at him if he does come on loan, before deciding whether to sign him permanently.
But we’d like to see Newcastle sign one of the top young center-backs, and they include 22 year-old James Tomkins of West Ham, 22 year-old Yanga Mbiwa of Montpellier, 18 year-old Harry Maguire of Sheffield United and 20 year-old Lewis Dunk of Brighton.
But one thing is certain – Newcastle must bring in a center-back in January.
Comments welcome.
47 comments so far
lewytoon
Jan 18, 2012 at 9:52 AM
Comment #1hopefully im first
gorgonzola
Jan 18, 2012 at 9:54 AM
Comment #2hopefully we get this lad with so much talk….Loan not too bad…
lewytoon
Jan 18, 2012 at 9:54 AM
Comment #3ed you can update the in transfers on the side of the page ! 😀
toonarmydownsouth
Jan 18, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Comment #4Congrats lewy!
gorgonzola
Jan 18, 2012 at 9:57 AM
Comment #5Man Newcastle must be buzzin with the news hey? :))) heheheh I wish I could go there one day I reckon I will go this year if my business picks up in these hard troubled times 🙁
jesperfuglsang
Jan 18, 2012 at 9:59 AM
Comment #6Ed, I think you can lay this one to rest 😉 We’re not in for Yohan Benalouane.
By now, it should be obvious that the papers nows absolute nothing when it comes to Newcastle and transfers.
I think we’ll buy someone young because we already have Colo, Willo and Taylor.
Jail for Ashley
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:04 AM
Comment #7I wonder how good the quality of Tunisian centre backs are,when we’re going for a guy who cant make their team,when we have a full Hungarian int waiting in our reserves.
BartZ
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:05 AM
Comment #8Loan to buy would be a good deal for us. The loan will basically act as a trial period, allowing the coaching staff to assess if he is good enough. Don’t know anything about anything about the lad so I couldn’t comment on his quality.
Also after hearing yesterday’s news I am not going to get overly excited when we are linked with a player as its clear we keep everything on the quiet until the deal is done… Well until the media see him walking through the training ground doors. Surely that’s the right way to go about our business
toonarmydownsouth
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:05 AM
Comment #9@6 ryder and douglas have stated we have no intrest in Benalouane so he should be in a toon shirt by tomos 😉
Tonzzz.
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Comment #10as much as i would love to see this lad come in, i do feel as though i have to agree with jesper, total paper talk. Cisse was proof of this, constant talk of Cissokho, then Cisse appears. I would however love to see us go in for Onuoha, not going to get played at man city, and has already proved to be a good signing at scumderland! lets fight off david moyes and sign him up!
2_goal_tino
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Comment #11I know i’m being equally optimistic and pessimistic, when I say … I’m really not looking forward to ACN 2013 – Demba, Demba and Tiote. Ouch!
Jail for Ashley
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Comment #12Hope MA doesn’t undo last night’s good work by not bringing in a centre back,I would love to know what Pards doesn’t like about Kadar
LewSpi
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Comment #13Ha. YES! I love that my suggestion of calling him Dave is catching on.
On the CB front, I’d prefer one of the younger ones, I know 24 is hardly old, but at that age he’s gonna be wanting guaranteed 1st team football, and he ain’t gonna get that.
Dunk or Maguire would be my first choices.
lewytoon
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Comment #14haha thanks toonarmydownsouth
i’d prefer that young captain from the french league, y’mwia or something haha
Lynxie
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:14 AM
Comment #15JFA @12
probably because Pardew sees him A LOT, and by now, has formed an opinion that he is not good enough. Which he isnt. If he was, he would have played against Norwich instead of the Perch / Simpson debacle. Obviously Kadar has ability issues. As for being a full international, so was Viana, so was Boumsong, so was Silvio Maric (I could go on…….)
In Pards we trust.
Lynxie
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:16 AM
Comment #16lewitoon @ 14:
That kid looks mustard. A definate future captain of France (JFA- a proper international team). get Mbiwa for 5mill, and in two years he will be better than Collo, the highest praise I can give.
jayphoto
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:16 AM
Comment #17JFA – i read somewhere that kadar is violently sick before any game with nerves ….. wouldn’t give you the most confidence in a centre half would it? Thought kadar looked ok when he’s played but Pards/Carver see him day in day out on the training ground, if they don’t rate him thats enough for me!
BoyNUFC
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:18 AM
Comment #18I read somewhere last week when we were first linked with him that he wanted to play for France but didn’t qualify for them due to both his parents being Tunisian or something??? He was called up to the Tunisian National Team but didn’t want to play for them.
dak76
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:19 AM
Comment #19Would rather give our reserves a chance – Like Tavinier, Kadar and Fergi. Don’t see how a bench warmer from a small average team in Italy would be any better than what we have.
Plus it doesn’t send out a good signal to those youngsters (named above) waiting in the wings for a deserved chance in the 1st team.
In the summer think we should go for Tomkins, an up and comming british CB, offer Smith & Perch plus £3-4m cash to west ham (good deal in my view)
oldbobaycliffe
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:19 AM
Comment #20is this virgin moneys first investment.it appears that ashley has invested it wisely
Lynxie
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:20 AM
Comment #21jayphoto @17
I have read the same regarding Kadar, I have every sympathy with the lad, imagine spewing up every morning before going to work (without having had twelve pints and a dodgy kebab the night before of course!)
roshan MAGPIE
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:20 AM
Comment #22well even Tiote was just a sub on the bench for twente and we signed him he turned out to be an absolute gem guess he can be good i trust in our scouting system
toonarmydownsouth
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Comment #23Lewytoon would live that m’wia he looks absolutly awesome would be a huge addition to the squad
lewytoon
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Comment #24yeah lynxie, better than colo, :0 must be good then haha, hopefully carr is on his trail
lewytoon
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:23 AM
Comment #25is he currently better than taylor?
Klatoon
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Comment #26Watching the Qpr game again and this new cm role AP handed Jonas was a masterstroke,wonder if he can play it again at Fulham. He certainly had his most effective performance of the season. Only drawback was it forced Best out on the left yet we need him in the box.
ITUNDERASHELL
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Comment #27Look, we will bring in a journeyman if we do not get our main target. Pardew has a list of players he wants and is prepared to wait until they become available. Its called a plan and it will not be deviated or derailed by anything.
The scouts are out pulling together a list of targets and we will only find out who they are when we are stunned and speechless by its ambitiousness.
We are in very, very capable hands so just sit back and enjoy the ride, have you all got your passports ready lads and lasses.
FloridaToon
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:26 AM
Comment #28Haven’t seen the lad play, but don’t think he is quality enough. I like the idea of a loan with option to buy for anyone coming in.
A loan deal might also be in place because of the money spent on Cisse, so a CB may be lined up for the summer when more money is available.
Tonzzz.
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:28 AM
Comment #29mackems after erding, picking up our scraps.
jesperfuglsang
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:30 AM
Comment #30@Lynxie
On a side note, Viana went on to do great things away from Newcastle; so did Jon Dahl Tomasson.
…So it’s never that black and white. I don’t know what’s going on with Kadar, but he looks good playing for Hungary 😉 take that in to consideration.
AP has a history of having favorites and of cause the opposite 😉
wynsleap
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Comment #31If we’re only aiming for a loan CB why not go for a really good performer with a view to purchase next season?
The sale (or disposal) of Smith would give us sixty thousand a week to help cover some of his wages.
How long will it be before this young lad Streete comes through?
Lynxie
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:38 AM
Comment #32jesper:
Viana went on to great things did he?
Tommasson was not mentioned, because I thought he was th real deal (that miss when he was clean through in the first twenty seconds of his debut v Sheff Wed really had a negative effect on him). He always knew where the net was.
Viana however, you overlook the fact that he was / is a bigger coward than Dyer (Marseilles semi final when he was scared of his own shadow and cowered during a jump where no one was challenging him, leaving the ball for Drogba to finish us off?) Nah mate, no tears spilled over impostors sorry. He redeemed himself a little a few weeks ago with his classy RIP GARY tee shirt on TV.
Kadar isnt good enough, he has done a decent stand in a few times but so have a few players (Raylor in particular) but when better is available, get them thats all I am saying. How does Kadar enter the equation when Collo and Willo (and saylor) are playing magnificently?)
John
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:45 AM
Comment #33Yanga and il be very happy with our bisiness.
Oleg G
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Comment #34What the F is wrong with some people?
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2012/01/18/man-arrested-over-newcastle-united-racist-twitter-slur-61634-30147660/
Lynxie
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:58 AM
Comment #35Oleg @ 34:
Some people just dont understand that it is 2012. Pond life scum thats all they are. Society has no place for them, let alone football.
Lynxie
Jan 18, 2012 at 11:35 AM
Comment #36WOW that was quick, who was removed from the banner to make way for Cisse?
Brutooon
Jan 18, 2012 at 11:46 AM
Comment #37Can we bid for the two current Senegal’s Centre Back – whoever they are !!!
Tonzzz.
Jan 18, 2012 at 12:35 PM
Comment #38@lynxie I think his head has been photshopped onto shola? but i may be wrong…
Lynxie
Jan 18, 2012 at 12:48 PM
Comment #39Tonzz:
thats what I was thinking too LOL
What a choice for photoshopping! Hope he scores more……………….
Poor Shola..
Lynxie
Jan 18, 2012 at 12:49 PM
Comment #40They would have struggled to find one of Shola scoring a goal to use for the photoshop, he would have had teenage acne on that pic ha ha ha