It seems the prices being asked for two of Newcastle’s summer targets will see the Magpies pass, and look for better bargains elsewhere.
Montpellier’s Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa – too expensive?
Ajax center-back and captain Jan Vertonghen has already come out and said he wants to join Tottenham, with his next choice being Arsenal – so it’s clear he doesn’t want to come to Tyneside, which is fine we suppose.
At least he’s being up front, and add to that his price is around £9M for a player who will be a free agent next summer, and he is hardly a good buy, so we’ll leave one of the two London clubs to sign the 25 year-old Belgium International.
But unfortunately it seems that other clubs are also after Montpellier’s captain Yanga-Mbiwa, who has been a target of Newcastle’s for the last year, with Arsenal and Manchester United both showing an interest in the defender, who can play anywhere along the back line.
The 23-year-old will be leaving French Champions Montpellier this summer, after the club’s chairman has come out and agreed to let his captain leave, but it looks like he will not come cheap, and there could be a bidding war for the player, which Newcastle will not take part in.
And both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in Germany have also shown an interested in the player, who could be in the French squad for the Euro 2012 Championships this summer.
It looks like any move for the player is now out of the reckoning, and Newcastle will need to move their attentions elsewhere.
But we should forget about former target, West Ham’s James Tomkins, who came out yesterday and said he made the right decision to stay in London last January, rather than join Newcastle, with West Ham now back in the Premier League.
That’s a pity, because James has looked an excellent player at both center-back and defensive midfield, when we have watched him over the last six months – and he was West Ham’s star man at center-back in the play-off win against Blackpool.
Newcastle are still interested in FC Twente’s Douglas, but it could be that Newcastle surprise us with a center-back we have not even been linked with, with some of the other targets becoming too expensive.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
25 comments so far
Troleibusiukas_LTU
May 29, 2012 at 9:18 AM
Comment #1New CB will be a Rabbit from Carr’s Hat.
davybtoon
May 29, 2012 at 9:22 AM
Comment #2Cb will b someone were totally not expecting that Carr has scouted instead the obvious ones that prices are gonna b sky high
SupaToonKid
May 29, 2012 at 9:23 AM
Comment #3From Last Post:
We do need a new CF and if we can get Gameiro on a good deal then we should probably get him and a wing-forward like Hoilett.
Bring in: Debuchy, Mbiwa (if too expensive go for Alderwereid, Harry McGuire, Ezekiel Fryers, Keisuke Honda or Marvin Martin (we need the goals they’d get from CM), Gael Bigirimana, Gameiro & Hoilett
Ollieh51
May 29, 2012 at 9:25 AM
Comment #4Would love it if we could find someone that appears to be as versatile as Yanga-Mbiwa.
Him and another 2 full backs (Cissokho, Clyne, Debuchy…) and we’d be looking very good across the back for next season.
Troleibusiukas_LTU
May 29, 2012 at 9:26 AM
Comment #5SupatoonKid, I wish that too, but Mbiwa is not going to happen, Honda will probably need very high wages.. But yeah taht signings would be very Cool.
GeordieDan
May 29, 2012 at 9:27 AM
Comment #6Gameiro made it very clear he doesn’t think much of NUFC last year when he pretty much ignored us altogether no matter what we bid for, or offered him.
Just because he’s had a crap season for PSG he is now available?
No thanks, Luuk De Jong for me. Younger, more hungry and blatantly less of muppet.
valle
May 29, 2012 at 9:33 AM
Comment #7We dont need a versatile defender, we need a tall, strong and commanding centraback to dominate both penalty areas. Colo aint the tallest but reads the game well, we need someone to compliment him though.
SupaToonKid
May 29, 2012 at 9:33 AM
Comment #8Ollieh51
We could go in for Cristian Zapata (he can play along the backline, is quick also taller than Mbiwa) as Villareal were relegated from La Liga so should be available on a reasonable fee.
Beattie25
May 29, 2012 at 9:35 AM
Comment #9Does anybody else have a worry that we may have been too slow on the transfer front this season?
I was massively confident players would be lining up to join us and that transfers will have been completed by July 1st but now I have a sickly feeling we are waiting to see how the Market pans out.
I’ll be devastated if that’s the case. I cannot stomach another season where we are massively under strengthed. We barely scraped through a 38-42 game season so I dare not think how we’ll cope with 50+ games.
I swear if I hear ‘we tried’ or ‘couldn’t get one over the line’ again I’ll become so disillusioned that I don’t think I’ll recover.
It’s only early doors yet but another dissapointing transfer window, whilst this close to greatness, would be disastrous!
Troleibusiukas_LTU
May 29, 2012 at 9:36 AM
Comment #10Dan, i also think that De Jong has more potencial, but IMO Gameiro is a good player and for a price lower than J.Rodriguez we should sign him too. We will need both of these strikers. In Europa Cup I want to see us going as far as we can and being a CL contenders in EPL at the same time. Play Fringe players and Youngsters in the cups and easier europa league games (against weaker opp. if the draw will be decent for us). We will need big squad.
SupaToonKid
May 29, 2012 at 9:38 AM
Comment #11Actually thinking about it Cristian Zapata is the full package: he’s quick, versatile, tall/physical presence, fits in the 25 and under age bracket and he should be available for a good price as Villareal were relegated from La Liga. Bring him Pards and Carr!
cyprus
May 29, 2012 at 9:41 AM
Comment #12Ed, and fellow bloggers, (yep, you too AP!)
You hardly mention the need for squad rotation, now that we are back in the big time. So, a lot of us are saying, where will Amalfitano etc. fit since that position is ‘locked’ by so and so. Some have even ‘fired’-sold players such as Ba in order to make room for their imaginary-new (often bargain priced) star striker. The fact is, squad rotation is about the only way to go these days: Fatigue, loss of form, injuries, players upset because they are left out of the starting 11, confidence etc. are important clincher factors to consider. The one major critique (alternating teams find it hard to gel), surely can be dealt with on the training ground and with time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squad_rotation_system
http://www.espnstar.com/football/premier-league/news/detail/item126048/Squad-rotation-key-for-Fergie/
cyprus
May 29, 2012 at 9:42 AM
Comment #13Ed, and fellow bloggers, (yep, you too AP!)
You hardly mention the need for squad rotation, now that we are back in the big time. So, a lot of us are saying, where will Amalfitano etc. fit since that position is ‘locked’ by so and so. Some have even ‘fired’-sold players such as Ba in order to make room for their imaginary-new (often bargain priced) star striker. The fact is, squad rotation is about the only way to go these days: Fatigue, loss of form, injuries, players upset because they are left out of the starting 11, confidence etc. are important clincher factors to consider. The one major critique (alternating teams find it hard to gel), surely can be dealt with on the training ground and with time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squad_rotation_system
LGFUAD21
May 29, 2012 at 9:46 AM
Comment #14Again on Gameiro bashing. Unless its for his ability.
He hasnt really had a bad season.
He snubbed us because we finished mid table for PSG who look to be the next Man City and challenge for titles.
As a French player with no affiliation to the club you can only expect that.
On Def.
Why not resurrect interst in Cissokho. He has cooled and looks a very good player to have on the attack. Very strong on the ball. Worth checking him out and his ‘back problem’ could drive down the price.
Beattie25
Window not even open yet and you know we are quiet dealers. It’ll more likely be because
a) nobody knows our real targets (other than Debuchy from pards interview and still may not be him)
b) We are now looking at internationals who do not want to deal before the Euros.
c) Teams dont want to sell before Euros either.
So because it is quiet I wouldnt think anything of it.
Apart from Arsenal and Podolski and Chelsea and Hazard NO ONE has signed anybody.
I say we quietly sneak Hoillett while all teams are fixated on Euros.
bambams
May 29, 2012 at 9:49 AM
Comment #15Beattie 25
I was saying the same, we have the chance to attract good players after the season we have just had. Hope we do not waste it.
Players will soon forget how well we have done, mind you is the transfer window now officially open?
Time will tell
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
May 29, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Comment #16Beattie….what’s happened in the last 24 hours? Yesterday you were part of an optimistic duo and today you’re writing off the transfer market, which hasn’t opened yet. Be strong mate
Cyprus….Rotation will be very important next season if we want to achieve anything.
jesperfuglsang
May 29, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Comment #17I asked a few days ago wether or not sabermetrics could be applied to football or not. I propose to some extend it could, the only problem is that we dont have much stats in football like in baseball and that football is not an individual sport but a team sport. Some stats are availeble though and since we cannot compete with the likes of Citeh and Chelsea when it comes to spending money we need to come up with something else.
I dont like Newcastle being a feeder club for the big and rich clubs.
Sabermetrics for a good defenfer:
Find the cheapest availeble who can get us 6 goals a season, 40 games and keep the ball far away from Krul.
Sabermetrics for a midfielder:
Find the cheapest availeble who either has a passing percentage or tackling percentage, 10 goals a season, 40 games a season
You couls apply the to any other possition. That is what I think we should be doing. It is our only shot if we want to compete with the top.
Mancgeordie
May 29, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Comment #18Would like us to bring mussachio from villereal he is only 22 i think strong argentinian fits the bill well looks a good player in the makin n if we could get gamiero, holliet, debuchy and marvin martin
geordieinjapan
May 29, 2012 at 10:16 AM
Comment #19the transfer window hasn’t even opened yet! I don’t see other clubs signing multitudes of players either, so have an inkling of patience
GoalsBringSmiles
May 29, 2012 at 10:17 AM
Comment #20Could it be that other teams have sussed our scouting system out?
alec6247toon
May 29, 2012 at 11:12 AM
Comment #21Musacchio from Villareal would be a great shout, however don’t think he will come cheap, Roma and Liverpool are in for him as well, but definitely fits the bill and will be a great player, will probably cost too much though.
AndyMac
May 29, 2012 at 1:47 PM
Comment #22“Newcastle are still interested in FC Twente’s Douglas, but it could be that Newcastle surprise us with a center-back we have not even been linked with, with some of the other targets becoming too expensive”
Douglas was a potential target because his contract was ending this summer but now there’s doubt about a clause including another year so suddenly he’s not the bargain buy any more.
I would have thought, knowing how agents use competing clubs to help raise the price and wages of their client, that our man wont be anywhere near the spotlight right now.
only magpie of nepal
May 29, 2012 at 3:43 PM
Comment #23If we can’t get any CBs in the summer don’t worry. Lets sign some Forwards and drop Big Shola in the CB position.
And to be honest Shola has some good qualities to be CB:
Stong, Good in Air, Physical. A bit slow and lazy but he wud be a good goal scoring CB.
JP...from The Rock
May 29, 2012 at 10:39 PM
Comment #24Damn it I really want Mbiwa and Martins this summer! Then and only then Douglas and Luuk De Jong 😛
comfortably numb
May 30, 2012 at 8:46 AM
Comment #25Why do you always mis-spell the word as Center? Centre back.