News in the Newcastle Journal today that Newcastle will concentrate their efforts in the summer on bringing players from Holland into the club, and maybe that’s because with five new Frenchmen into the club last month, maybe that’s almost the full contingent of players Newcastle had on the radar screen from France at the beginning of the year.
Siem de Jong – a Newcastle target in the summer?
Certainly the acquisition of five French players has been a boon to Newcastle, and our squad looks so much stronger with Gouffran and Sissoko already starring in the starting eleven – along with Mathieu Debuchy.
Newcastle were at the Dutch Under-21 game against Ireland yesterday, and they were at games in the Eredivisie last Saturday and took in games that included Vitesse Arnhem, PSV, Zwolle and AZ Alkmaar.
Striker Wilfried Bony plays for Vitesse and we were linked with him last month, and it will be interesting to know which other players Newcastle are looking at.
And new news is that Newcastle tried to sign Jody Lukoki from Ajax in January – and the Kinshasa, Zaire born 20 year-old Dutch U19 winger would be one for the future.
So it seems that Newcastle are laying the foundations to bring in a number of players from the Dutch league in the summer, although we expect a number of younger players – like Jody – to come in, and we also expect Newcastle to unload some of their Development squad – those players who will just not make the grade at the club.
So we expect Newcastle to be active again in the transfer market this summer, but the majority of acquisitions could be for younger players, such as 17 year-old Servette’s Kevin Mbabu who we signed last month.
But as we mentioned yesterday, if we can get two or three top players into the club, and keep all the best players we already have – our squad will be simply awesome for next season.
Howay The Lads!!
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27 comments so far
TorqToon
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:48 AM
Comment #1Siem de Jong is our #1 target for the summer.
Have it on good authority.
TorqToon
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:48 AM
Comment #2On Sakho – watching him last night was painful at times. This lad has the potential to be one of the best centre half’s in the world – but he looked a shadow of his former self. He needs to find his love for the game again and that has to be away from PSG,
My shout is still Alderwield and Mirin…
…but should we get priced out of those two, then Sakho would be a decent signing. But would need to work on fitness.
TorqToon
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:49 AM
Comment #3And plenty of talk with regards Dries Mertens throughout Europe with solid links to NUFC.
Assam Toon
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:51 AM
Comment #4Repost
two extra signings should be enough for the summer.
one, prezella the argentine who i believe will grow under mapou and staylor. sakho will probably go to arsenal if they qualify for europa/CL.
and the other, a proven striker.
By the way, who was the last player we bought who had an active contract going on…from an EPL side?
jayphoto
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:54 AM
Comment #5Be really surprised if we don’t go back in for Aubameyang in the summer! Mirin looks a possibility too! 5 players from holland sounds feasible but Id bet 3 of them are under 19! Luuk De jong is having a bit of a nightmare in Germany, hes all wrong for moenchengladbach and will likely move for 8m ish! Hes a much stronger finisher than papiss and i think he’d do brilliantly here! Same with his brother Siem de jong! Biggest recommendation in holland (after eriksson who would never come) is viktor fischer at Ajax! Future world star!
jayphoto
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:55 AM
Comment #6Assam toon – probably Obertan? Stil had a couple years at man utd to go
croftus5678
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:56 AM
Comment #7its the under 21’s we are seen to be looking at in holland that raises my eyebrows as they have great technical players and there strikers seem to do very well in the prem.
i do not expect 1st team signings next year maybe only 1 striker and a defender if collo goes )crosses fingers he doesnt) but we deffinatly need more border 1st team prospects on the wing and upfront.
The Mad Patter
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:57 AM
Comment #8If Cisse doesn’t get his form back I think we’ll go for Bony but if he stats scoring again it’ll be De Jong.
Douglas would be a good partner for Mbiwa and could be a good price too. If we’re allowed (!) to still buy players from France then Sakho would be tremendous!!
Mund30
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:03 AM
Comment #9Would love a Siem and Luuk De Jong combo this summer would be amazing, both great players and would add some sure quality. But i guess we will have to wait and see who we go in for, but if January is anything to go by and we will follow up with the same ambition this summer, then im really excited or what we can achieve the next 2 seasons and see were we are at.
But first things first that 40 point mark then get excited for next season, but its safe to say its a good feeling being a Newcastle fan nowadays, we are on the up.
nufc 11
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:07 AM
Comment #10Ive yet to see a prospect to rival IKer Munion frm Bilbao plays like messi.
Mund30
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:08 AM
Comment #11@9 Munian is a great player, quick, skillful can play on the wing or as a forward, very good prospect for the future. Would love to be linked with him but i doubt it would happen, he will end up at one of the big boys, possibly Madrid.
GeordieDan
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:09 AM
Comment #12Torq>
Interesting that De Jong would be our top target over an out and out striker like Bony or Aubamayang.
Really hope we can bring in De Jong as well though, he’s a class player. 🙂
Black and White with an army lol
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:10 AM
Comment #13i still have antone greizmen ( spelling ) as our LW he’s young, fast and has every thing a winger needs plus he’s french
chris_g
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:10 AM
Comment #14I totally agree with croftus. All I would expect next summer is one striker, one defender (if Colo goes) and a replacement GK if Harper leaves. Anything more would be a bonus.
I don’t normally do this, but here’s a repost of something I wrote earlier
chris_g // Feb 7, 2013 at 4:48 AM
No Kets, that won’t work. If we did sign those 5 players (who are ALL non-homegrown) then we would end up exceeding the maximum number of 17 that we’d be allowed to name in our 25 man squad for next season.
Also, if we got rid of those players that you’ve listed (who ALL qualify as homegrown) then we’d have serious problems finding another 8 players to satisfy the required homegrown quota for next season.
I think you (and everybody else) need to get used to the idea that we’ll probably end up losing more than 5 players in the summer, even if we only bring in one or two. We’ve currently got 24 players named in our 25 man squad for the rest of this season but we’ve also got a further seven players who will no longer qualify as under 21s next season (for these purposes an under 21 player is defined as one who is “under the age of 21 on 1st January in the year in which the season commences”). Those players who will no longer qualify are Santon, Tavernier, Dummett, Ferguson, Inman, Newton and Ranger. They were all born in 1991 and were therefore all aged 21 on 1st January this year, so the list of candidates for a place in next year’s 25 man squad now stands at 31 (not 24, as most people seem to be assuming).
Instead of 5 players in and 5 out, as you’ve suggested, I think it’s more likely to be something like 3 players in and 9 players out (possibly 6 players sold or released and 3 of the 21yr olds sent out on loan for the season)
It isn’t rocket science. It’s just simple arithmetic:
31 + 3 – 9 = 25 (which is the maximum number allowed)
So I would suggest:
IN (3)
Replacement for Harper
Alderweireld
Benteke or Bony or PEA or RVW or ??
OUT (9)
Harper
Simpson
Coloccini
R Taylor
Gosling
Ranger
+ send out on loan:
Ferguson
Inman
Newton
Which would leave us with this 25 man squad for next season:
(h = homegrown)
3 GK….Krul (h), Elliot (h), New GK
2 RB….Debuchy, Tavernier (h)
2 LB…..Santon, Dummett (h)
4 CB….Alderweireld, Yanga-Mbiwa, S Taylor (h), Williamson (h)
4 DM….Tiote, Anita, Jonas, Perch (h)
6 AM….HBA, Cabaye, Sissoko, Marveaux, Obertan, Amalfitano
4 ST…….Cisse, New Striker, Gouffran, Shola (h)
Total = 25, homegrown = 8
Players who would still qualify as under 21 next season include:
Haïdara, Sammy Ameobi, Abeid, Vuckic, Bigirimana, Good, Streete, Campbell
and a few of them could be sent out on loan as well, in addition to the 21yr olds that I mentioned
Jail for Ashley
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:10 AM
Comment #15My line up for the EL game would be exactly the same as the one that beats Spurs on Satutday with the exception of Mbwia in place of Collo or Taylor,with an ultra defensive second string over there should we have a fairly comfortable lead.
Black and White with an army lol
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:15 AM
Comment #16hell with it just bring in 1 striker Leandro Damoa probably one of the best strikers iv’e ever seen and has a cracking goal scoring record, he will be worth about 15-25 mill.
Mund30
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:15 AM
Comment #17Torq
Is that real? are we really getting linked to Dries Mertens?
Blaydon-Toon
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:19 AM
Comment #18Morning bloggers …. Had a horrible thought this morning regarding the Spurs game obviously Bale is the man to stop but no Defoe I was quite happy until I remembered Clint Dempsey – he always causes us problems … Clever player finds pockets of space and a good finisher and good in the air !
TorqToon
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:20 AM
Comment #19Geordie dan – I think PEA is a long shot now. His advisors seem hell bent on upping his fee as much as possible, and as we know, we won’t pay over the odds. I think a more likely target is RVW who has expressed a fond admiration for this football club.
Colo will leave in the summer, I’m fairly certain of that, so we will need to bring in 2 more centre backs, giving us 4 players for 2 positions. Willo will be farmed out and replaced with Alderwield and Mirin.
Antoine Greizmann would be excellent at this club – but would cost around £15mil.
De Jong and RVW, plus the 2 centre backs would set us back around £30mil – so not sure the figures are feasible, but these players, with players leaving an freeing up wages, would set us up with the strongest squad we have possibly ever had.
croftus5678
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:22 AM
Comment #20@13
gk wise the team have been praising one of our youth keepers lately sodjerberg or something wanting him to get more games so that may be our cover and 1 man down with no need to fill
i think raylor will stay personally ! but yep gos/ranger/simpson/harper out and the ones that not broke into the team yet apart from bigi send on loan to see what they can do in 1 season.
and i think the likes of hairdryer who can cover cb aswell will come in handy if the let williamson be the 5th to go.
toonincheek
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:23 AM
Comment #21chris_g –
Well worth re-posting. Very interesting comments
and posts like that can get overlooked when they
are posted in Ed’s earleir-in-the-day posts.
TorqToon
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:23 AM
Comment #22Mund – yes sir. There was loads of talk about him and discussions with the club during last summer and again in the window just passed…
Obviously the figures will need to be thrashed out, but I know for sure that we have contacted the necessary people with regards Mertens.
We know now that our scouts are watching potential world class players, we also know other clubs are watching OUR scouts – so it’s harder to find out solid info as NUFC are being extremely secretive.
Which is a good thing…
croftus5678
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:29 AM
Comment #23@20
correction the keeper was jack alnwick
geordiesteve520
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:32 AM
Comment #24Tor, as usual we are in agreement, Greizmann would be a great signing but pricey (and perhaps similar to what we have, but younger). Holland is loaded with talent, but is an even bigger step down that ligue 1 so adapting may prove difficult for some. I personally am a big admirer of Adam Maher who I think Arsenal are tracking but wouldn’t be surprised to see us go after him. Also I think we may still be in for Virgil Van Dijk who was linked with Brighton in the transfer window (which would have been a hell of a coup for them).
I have a slight bug bear about people on here recommending players and getting their names wrong – if you don’t know their name and consistently get in wrong then how can you claim to know about the player, unless you are actually my dad who for the entire time Nick the Greek was at the club called him Dabidas – a bit like his trainers at the time 🙂
Rant over.
Mund30
Feb 7, 2013 at 10:39 AM
Comment #25Torq
Thats great news and very exciting for the future of this club. Is it alright to say we could have the best scouting system in the world?? And add the business sense of Ashley we are in a great position. I believe we will bring some class players in this summer and i pray and hope we win that elusive trophy. I do believe that will happen eventually if we keep following this path.
Good work Torq keep it up mate.
HWTL
Stephen Keegan
Feb 7, 2013 at 2:43 PM
Comment #26Homegrown Players need to be priority this summer, even City and Arsenal have english players in the spine of the team, i understand that they are all over priced but i get the feeling the English lads at the club may start to feel isolated we this continued surge of foreighn aquisitions. unlikely to happen as Carr clearly lives in a lovely villa in france tho hahaha
No7_Heaven
Feb 7, 2013 at 7:14 PM
Comment #27Does it really matter where future players come from? So long as the improve the squad / team and are good value for money…..Those are the factors that are important.