Newcastle United are said to be very interested in 19 year-old Dutch International attacking midfielder Adam Maher, who was recently named Holland’s Young Player of the Year, according to a report in the Sunday Mirror today.
Adam Maher – hot prospect in Holland
The youngster was born in Ait Izou, Morocco, but he has elected to play for Holland, and he played at the U17, U19 and U21 level for the Dutch, and gained his first full cap in August of this year, under new manager Louis van Gaal, when he played in the 4-2 loss against Belgium in a friendly match.
But Newcastle will face significant competition from Manchester City, AC Milan, Chelsea and Barcelona (and Sunderland – of course), who are all said to be interested in the 5’9″ midfielder, who plays for AZ Alkmaar.
Adam made his professional debut for AZ in December two years ago, in a UEFA Europa League game against FC BATE Borisov, and he managed to score a goal in that game.
He has now played 63 times for Alkmaar and has 14 goals and 12 assists, which looks like an excellent record for a 19 year-old attacking midfielder.
The 19 year-old is anxious to leave Alkmaar, and the reports are that he’s expected to move either in January or next summer, but Newcastle may find ti difficult to entice the youngster to Tyneside, although of course he will get first team games at Newcastle.
Sunderland, Newcastle and Chelsea were all said to have scouts in Tilburg a week last Friday night, when Maher starred in the Holland Under-21 side’s 4-1 win over Austria, and we assume Newcastle Chief Scout Graham Carr was among them.
Comments welcome.
31 comments so far
spitfire_
Sep 16, 2012 at 9:39 AM
Comment #1Ed, just take a break from this transfer “rumours”… Three dozen players “should” came in the summer by the papers… but we got one.
ChicagoToon
Sep 16, 2012 at 9:46 AM
Comment #2Mr. Harrison, I agree with Spitfire. Not that you shouldn’t post whatever you feel like, but that its got to be 430 there..get some sleep man. Idk how you do it man haha but thanks for the blog!
tarie4
Sep 16, 2012 at 9:48 AM
Comment #3spitfire
I thut we got 4????
tarie4
Sep 16, 2012 at 9:51 AM
Comment #4also just cause U dnt want to read about transfer gossip, doesn’t mean everyone else does want to read them.
I for one WANT to read them. Keep posting them ED please…
Tsunki
Sep 16, 2012 at 9:51 AM
Comment #5another midfielder? Bah! Humbug!
ChicagoToon
Sep 16, 2012 at 9:54 AM
Comment #6Tarie, its not that I don’t want it. This is the first site I check each morning…i just don’t think the man ever sleeps, I’m concerned for him hahaha
Tsunki
Sep 16, 2012 at 9:55 AM
Comment #7SSports and their ruddy MNF we have to stretch our weekend to infinity for our next game. going to scouseland on a monday night is like being in school knowing the bully will be waiting for you when the hometime bell rings. they will be a bit brutal, so I expect Pards will have saylor, perch and bigi drilled to knock back. maybe even shola for some clattering time?
jawballsaswallwell
Sep 16, 2012 at 9:55 AM
Comment #8I’m sure ed feels as fed up as any of us, having to report the nonsense, just feels obligated to pass it on.
spitfire_
Sep 16, 2012 at 9:55 AM
Comment #9@tarie4
Yeah 4… Tell me then will you be calm if Bigi, Amalfitano and especially Good should play against the top top teams?
Tsunki
Sep 16, 2012 at 9:58 AM
Comment #10erm… it might irritate you but rumours are rumours therefore relevant for discussion. if you don’t like it you say so, and why. easy.
NEWEXPATMAGPIE
Sep 16, 2012 at 9:58 AM
Comment #11We got no chance of getting him! Plus we could,nt pay his wages!
How many agents has he got representing him !
And what are the chances that AZ Alkmaar will try and screw us on the deal !
Believe it when it happens !
jawballsaswallwell
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:01 AM
Comment #12Shola has developed into quite a frightening physical specimen in recent seasons. Up the roids, maybe!
tarie4
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:05 AM
Comment #13spitfire
I am sorry but thats not the point. U said we signed 1 player, and i seem to remember us signing 4 players.
is that not so?? Or was i seeing things 😉
cupiddstunt
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Comment #14Spitfire @ # 1
I think you will find that Ed is not the originator of all these stories he posts on his blog but merely a collector of all stories NUFC that are out there on the net.
He uses his blog like a central resource for the benefit of us NUFC supports so we do not have to go spending hours searching for the latest tit bits of NUFC news.
For that I commend him in his efforts and never complain about the contents of his threads.
As you typed three dozen players were linked with NUFC in the summer window, this was not Ed’s doing but the media in general all Ed has done is bring those three dozen stories to this blog.
And now three dozen and one.
I for one am grateful that Ed is spending the time and effort to centralise these stories for us.
If you do not like the content of the stories there is a simple solution. 😉
tarie4
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Comment #15ChicagoToon
Ahhhh right, but if he did rest, we would have no blog 🙁 I guess I cud be a bit selfish no??
spitfire_
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:09 AM
Comment #16@tarie4
If this is not the point than we bought at least 10 players… just look the u18 and reserves. In that case we have a fantastic summer!
@cupiddstunt
It’s not that hard to ignore this blah blag articles.
jawballsaswallwell
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Comment #17Well, I think it speaks for itself really, papers will print the whiff of a rumour, agents tout players to all and sundry even players they don’t represent, we’ve been linked to countless players, the transfer window has just closed and so it goes on and on. I guess it’s down tothe 24 hour news cycle and so the bullshit piles up so high you need wings to stay above it.
tarie4
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Comment #18spitfire
Really?? Name me the players we bought for the reserves and U 18?? U said 10 right.. 😉
cupiddstunt
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:16 AM
Comment #19Jawballsaswallwell @ # @ # 12
I have to agree with that.
I think in the last few years he has developed into a very very strong individual and there are not many defences that look forward to the prospect of having to deal with him.
I have watched him abuse quite a few of the so called hard men of the EPL’s defences, and he does it in such a gentlemanly way there appears to be no malice in the guy whatsoever but he does abuse defences when he is on the park. 🙂
putra_hayzad
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:17 AM
Comment #20Spitfire
Yeah name it -,-
tarie4
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:20 AM
Comment #21cupiddstunt
To finish ur sentance
“after coming on as a sub in the 75 min”
Hahaha 😉
jesperfuglsang
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Comment #22Great player no doubt, but what I would like for Newcastle is to be in for these kinds of players two years ago 😀
…is doesn’t take a scout to spot Adam Maher today does it?
Basically w are more or less two years to late to make our system for the future work ( we still have a lot of work to do to emulate the great Wenger ;))
cupiddstunt
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Comment #23Spitfire @ # 16
Exactly you are correct, as you say It’s not that hard to ignore this blah blag articles.
So why don’t you just do that instead of complaining about Ed’s efforts?
I have problems understanding why someone spends time an effort reading articles and then complaining about the contents of said articles.
Spitfire look at the title and it will give you an idea of the contents, that way you will save yourself some grief and heartache. 😉
jawballsaswallwell
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Comment #24Yeah, I think the only thing that has stopped Shola from being much more involved in the starting 11 over the last few seasons are injuries. I think Pardew rates him very highly and he has matured into formidable presence and a fine player.
Phil K
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Comment #25We’ve been named as “after” a few and got none of them
HullMag6
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:28 AM
Comment #26Got post olympic/paralympic hangover still seeing all that great sport has ruined my enthusiasm for the beautiful game. Anyway my two bob for this debate.
Another attacking midfielder- why? We have plenty of options unless some are being moved on. Our priorities for transfers must be strengthening defensive options and a striker or two to replace ranger and xisco.
jesperfuglsang
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:28 AM
Comment #27Remember Ed is in a completely different timezone, so I am sure he sleeps just fine 😉 I don’t know what time it is in Virginia or where he resides in the States, but there is probably 6 or 7 hours time difference 😉
JAMSHA
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:30 AM
Comment #28get this lad plzzzz
tarie4
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:31 AM
Comment #29HullMag6
“you can never have enough midfielders”
Pep
Graeme
Sep 16, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Comment #30Its still 3 MONTHS before the next window opens ffs – we will be linked to every CB, LB, RB on the planet in that time as long as he has 2 legs and can kick a ball – get used to it lol
chuck
Sep 16, 2012 at 11:29 AM
Comment #31Midfielders we got, in spades!
What we need is defensive help.