We don’t know if Vitoria Guimaraes striker Amido Balde is a Newcastle target, but we have been linked with the player, but the 22 year-old is now in Glasgow for talks with Celtic, with a view to signing for the Scottish giants.
Amido Balde – does it look like he’ll sign for Celtic?
That’s what the BBC is reporting today, and they quote a friend of his – Tommy Langley, who is with the 22-year-old in Glasgow:.
“There are quite a few clubs interested in Amido.” “But, at the end of the day, he’s here and we’re trying to get the deal done at Celtic. That’s the first priority.” “He’s a big strong lad, athletic, great touch and he’s a boy who can only get better.”
“They are a fantastic football club,” “They are in the Champions League and a great sounding board for players to come and play top-class football.”
“But we’ll see where it goes from here. He’s got a couple of things to sort out.” “He’s a big strong lad, athletic, great touch and he’s a boy who can only get better.”
Balde signed a two-year deal last summer at the Portuguese club, so he could be picked up for a small fee, and it seems that fee has already been agreed between the two clubs, otherwise Balde wouldn’t now be in Glasgow.
Celtic manager Neil Lennon talked last week about the player, and said Balde was indeed one of his transfer targets:.
“He is a player we have scouted and looks the type we would like,” “But, whether we can get a deal done or not, I don’t know. We are just looking to strengthen that area.”
“Balde is a big striker and has the physical attributes we are looking for, but he is interesting other clubs.”
Balde joined Vitoria from Sporting Lisbon last summer as a free agent, after Sporting didn’t renew his contract.
The 6’4″ striker was born in Guinea-Bissau and scored 9 goals in 31 games last season, but we always wondered why he was released by Sporting Lisbon last summer?
Newcastle would be in for the 22 year-old if he was a target, so we have to assume Newcastle have other strikers lined up – we hope Newcastle have other strikers lined up. 😀
Comments welcome.
Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook and +1 us on Google+:
You can also reach Ed at admin@nufcblog.com
=============================================
20 comments so far
Lilongwe Geordie
Jun 11, 2013 at 9:57 AM
Comment #1I’d guess this just means that Hooper will be on his way to a Pemier league team.
Not in the slightest disappointed on this front.
Indian Magpie
Jun 11, 2013 at 9:57 AM
Comment #2Sack the board
JAMSHA
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:01 AM
Comment #3nxt topic ,,,, the whole week has been wasted
jayphoto
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:02 AM
Comment #4I’ve seen Douglas quite a few times live! Always in the away games to ajax and feyenoord so difficult games! For me hes the best centreback in holland! I include alderweireld, and even vertonghan in that too, hes a fantastic defender! Not as slow as people think, beast in the tackle and in the air! To sum him up, hes the kind of player that arsene wenger moans about after the game! Hes technique is good too, decent distribution, confident on the ball etc
croftus5678
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:05 AM
Comment #5AAAARRRGHHHHHH B*&^%$D balde was my tip for bargain striker of the season 🙁
now i’m cheesed off someone find me a new talent who’s cheaper and better quality i can dream about us signing.
NUFCarter
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:05 AM
Comment #6Torq
well you know more than me but I understand Your confidentiality and I praise you for it. Many in your position or similar to, that have links to football clubs and players open up on the issues etc that occur at the clubs and that’s when rumours start flying round.
Lilongwe Geordie
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:06 AM
Comment #7Seem to be a few people who have seen more of Douglas then me, so I will stand corrected, and put it down to everyone having the occasional off day!
Douglas IN!
jayphoto
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:07 AM
Comment #8Not sure how people can assume the club is doing nothing….. None of us has any idea what work is going on behind the scenes as we rarely do our transfers in public! Same as i dont understand how ppl think we’ll sell our top players? The club have sold 2 top players in 4 years, one being carroll who went for stupid money and Ba who had a clause! Hardly a selling club mentality…. In that time arsenal have sold fabregas, clichy, van persie, nasri etc
Lachu
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:09 AM
Comment #9Headline :Newcastle Striker Target In Glasgow For Talks With Celtic
First Line :We don’t know if Vitoria Guimaraes striker Amido Balde is a Newcastle target.
Sums up our transfer activity
and ed’s jouranlism 🙂
croftus5678
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:10 AM
Comment #10@7 lilongwe
i personaly didnt watch full matches on douglas only highlights/youtube and news reports ect and onb they wont show the boring parts of him (nobody’s perfect) but if he is consistant from what i’ve seen he should a very good player for us and we will then be covered for when collo does actually leave when they all settle.
jayphoto
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:11 AM
Comment #11Lilongwe – signing douglas is worth it just to watch him tackle and challenge, hes really a take it all kind of player! Pardew might need to calm him down tho because some of the things he gets away with in the eriedivisie would see him pick up reds and yellows in abundance in the PL
WWYCD
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:11 AM
Comment #12jayphoto
El Toro, Nolan and Barton were all our top players when they left
Tsunki
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:21 AM
Comment #13Lachu – unless you are either:
a) Going to get the point of why Ed posts the articles, or are
b) going to write something fantastic yourself,
don’t bother us with your pointless comments.
Lilongwe Geordie
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:22 AM
Comment #14Exert from a Chronicle article about Brad Inman… Seems the club may be looking at low renewal figures.
“UNITED are urging season ticket holders to contact the ticket office in order to retain their seats for forthcoming Premier League campaign.
The deadline for renewals has passed.”
dbpjake
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:22 AM
Comment #15There has to be some free transfers worth looking at. Not bothered about Balde one bit
ToonDarnSarf
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:22 AM
Comment #16Anyone concerned about transfer activity should realise that several players we had lined up for a July 1st transfer were signed in January instead.
Plus, we could hardly be negotiating with clubs and players when we weren’t even sure if we’d still be in the Premier League next season or not!
The end of the season is crazy for many clubs all over the world, and then many players have gone off to play internationals or gone on holiday. Its not easy to do transfers at this time of year, I suggest that many that are now being made public were pretty much tied up months ago.
Nothing to worry about lads…you can leave all that until August if we haven’t signed a striker at least…
terencelim
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:23 AM
Comment #17@jayphoto, and Arsenal got decent replacement for those mentioned and achieved CL spot while Newcastle didn’t. Why didn’t you mention this?
Tell me another PL club which doesn’t have a net spending in transfer window.
Tsunki
Jun 11, 2013 at 10:24 AM
Comment #18Lilongwe – Me and my two lads didn’t renew our ST’s this year for financial (cough) reasons, but I bet there are a shedload of people not bothering to renew after last seasons ahem performances. Can’t blame them, thats what comes with the territory in the entertainment business.
hadthetshirt
Jun 11, 2013 at 12:42 PM
Comment #19They had loads of shirts already printed with number 6 on the back.
From Bobo
widowmagandapoke
Jun 12, 2013 at 10:10 AM
Comment #20One thing for sure, he has a much better chance of getting silverware than if he joined Newcastle – which he won’t