Laurent Blanc formed a good relationship with Yohan Cabaye while he was the French manager, and it was Blanc who gave Cabaye his full French debut in the friendly match against Norway in August of 2010, after France’s disastrous World Cup in South Africa, when they didn’t even reach the knock-out rounds.
Yohan Cabaye – PSG still keen on Newcastle midfielder
Since that time Cabaye has become a mainstay in the France side, and last summer the Newcastle player was one of their best players during the European Championships in Poland and the Ukraine.
So it’s hardly surprising when Laurent was appointed PSG manager on June 25th to replace Carlo Ancelotti, who left to manager Real Madrid, that he talked about Cabaye being his top target for the summer.
Yohan Cabaye now has 22 caps and one goal for France, and all his caps have come in the short two years he’s been at Newcastle, and while Yohan suffered a lapse in form in the final few months of last season, he’s still a very good player and has improved a lot while at Newcastle.
And of course Blanc is still asked about Cabaye, and he had this to say:
“He can play in several different positions.” “Yohan is a very interesting player.”
Monaco are the other rich French club who have expressed an interest in Cabaye, and their CEO Vadim Vasilyev recently described the Newcastle midfielder as “an exciting player.”
Yohan will be back on Tyneside next week to begin pre-season training with manager Alan Pardew, and while he was supposed to be upset bu Joe Kinnear calling him Yohan Kebab in that infamous and embarrassing talkSPORT interview, we wonder if that’s really true.
Maybe he now realizes that our new Director of Football keeps putting his foot in his mouth – almost every time he opens it – and that it wasn’t personal.
But it’s fairly simple where Yohan’s future lies – and if either PSG or Monaco bid £25M in cash up front, he will return to the French first division, and for Cabaye that will be a step down in class from the Premier League.
And Yohan would do well to look at his phenomenal progress while he’s been at Newcastle, and stay here and help Newcastle fight for a top six or top eight position next season in the Premier League.
That’s what we need right now, and if we can just keep our best players this summer, our squad is still a strong one.
At a minimum we need two good strikers brought in to help Papiss Cisse with the goal-scoring duties, and we should be in decent shape for the new season.
With captain Fabricio Coloccini staying at the club, and with new French recruits in Mathieu Debuchy, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Massadio Haidara – our defense should be much stronger next season.
It’s just a little frustrating that we seem to keep missing out on our transfer targets, because we will not spend the money necessary to bring top players to the club.
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290 comments so far
gonufc (not Arf' bad)
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:33 PM
Comment #41@ONLINE – I thought it was really strange to get rid of Perch considering he seems to be one of Pardew’s favourites. I can’t imagine him being one of the first that Pardew suggested to get rid of.
Plus, haven’t we just had a whole year of saying “the squad isn’t big enough”?
Or are we now so ‘lucky’ to have failed miserably so we’re not in europe?
ToonDarnSarf
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:34 PM
Comment #42TADS
Yeah, I would have loved to have seen us sign a top striker in January to replace Ba, but we know the club won’t be pushed into signings. They’re following the Arsenal model there.
There was also an article (including on this site!) that we had a £15M bid turned down because a Russian club outbid us. So which is true?
We don’t know what is really happening behind the scenes.
John Tudor
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:41 PM
Comment #43supposedly very little
Dondatta13
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:43 PM
Comment #44Repost…
When we got relegated last time out, as much as it pained me… I thought it done us the world of good.
We cleared the decks of players who just didnt wish to be hear and play for the shirt…
How bad are things getting with the club that a small part of me is thinking that with the near miss of survival last term, the appointment of JFK. Wonga shirt sponsorship, the sale of Perchino coupled with the alledged interest in Bent, Remy, Matt Taylor…
Maybe we need to take a step back in order to progress agin?
I don’t think Pardew will last till Christmas tbh… If the negative vibes continue from the stands towards the club, that too will have an adverse effect on a team that woefully under performed (tactics and injuries)…
The only way that Mike gets a bloody nose would be for the house of cards to collapse and part of me thinks… It would serve HIM right!
p
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:43 PM
Comment #45hainesy – transfermarkt reckons he is a striker, nufc.com is saying striker/attacking midfielder
toonarmydownsouth
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:43 PM
Comment #46Here’s our most regular squad based on appearances that season:
Given– sold for a tidy profit in jan Harper low wages
Beye low wages
Enrique (very poor at the time) became one of the clubs best assets and left because he felt MA had no ambition, sound familiar
Colo (also poor at the time) one of the clubs biggest assets, MA offered him big new contract
Basssong signed by Ashley for half a mil sold for £8 mil hardly cost Ashley like
Saylor offered a bumper contract by Ashley the relegation season not hall or Shepard
Duff (poor) undisclosed fee
Jonas ash offered big new contract
Guthrie (definitely not good enough)hardly a costly player for the lad
N’Zogbia sold for a £5.75 mil profit and got Ryan Taylor
Nolan signed by ash
Martins sold for £9 mil lost £2 mil on what was paid for him
Owen only player Ashley lost out on, although the fee wasn’t as much as reported due to monies owed from Madrid for woodgate
So overall ash recouped a fair old whack of that squad
dalton7675
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:44 PM
Comment #47He really fu#ks me off Mike Ashley., why buy a massive football club like ours if hes not willing to strenghen the squad when its needed! we had one good striker last year when ba left and what did he do buy 2 defenders, a midfielder and an attacking midfielder, wheres the 2 strikers we need!!!! ciise cant do it alone and ameobi is useless! How many of you’s know that Mike Ashley is 369 richest person in the world! check it out on the forbes rich list, Im gratefull he payed our debts off and has helped us out but my god man we need players strikers no more midfielders we have got enough!
p
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:44 PM
Comment #48sounds like Olly is so good, he can even be a world beater in goal
hainesy
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:46 PM
Comment #49P – Julien Lauren’s works in France and he said on TalkSport that he was an ‘Alex Song’ type holding midfielder.
ONLINE GUY
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:46 PM
Comment #50Iv been trying (as usual, once a week or so !) to get some info on transfer dealings ..One of the young Academy coaches comes here ..as in the past he always tells me he gets to know nothing ..its all guarded and secretive ..So if he knows nowt … (and I respect his word ) We are all jumping about with nothing to go on. Best just wait and see … Saying all that I don’t push him too far as he is very Loyal to the club and won’t have a bad word said . .
Will just have to get the thumb screws out !
hainesy
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:46 PM
Comment #51Kemen interview explaining position –
http://m.talksport.co.uk/radio/hawksbee-and-jacobs/130628/laurens-newcastle’s-pursuit-aubameyang-kemen-and-zouma-200593
toonarmydownsouth
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:47 PM
Comment #52TDS
Tbf we could probably bore the blog to death arguing the pro’s and cons of Ashley, so think we will prob have to agree to disagree,
For me i will not be convinced we are moving forward if a) the academy isn’t upgraded to cat A
B) sensible squad investment
C) 7th/8th place finish
Big Pappa Cissé
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:51 PM
Comment #53To make this lack of transfer activity less painful, here is our current best 11 IMO :
—————————–Krul—————————–
–Debuchy——–Collo———M’biwa——–Santon–
—————-Sissoko—————-Anita—————-
——–HBA————-Cabaye———-Marveaux——
—————————–Cisse—————————–
Still very strong and on paper level with Everton IMO. Perfectly capable of a top 10 finish.
gonufc (not Arf' bad)
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:51 PM
Comment #54@dalton – because unlike most others Ashley bought us as a business investment. The premier league is watched throughout the world- what he loses through buying it he gets in massive advertising.
I thought this sums up his thoughts- whilst qualifying for europa league we had a game against the Greek side Atromitos.
Understandably there wasn’t a huge crowd yet EVERY advertising board was changed just for this one match.
The advertising board for just this one game? http://www.SportsDirect.GR….
Ginger
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:51 PM
Comment #55168ToonDarnSarf
Ginger
Last summer nothing much had happened by now, I believe we had signed Amalfitano on a free but nobody else yet. We were being linked heavily with De Jong but lost him similar to Aubameyang this season. Look how that transfer window ended up. Sure we got signings in, but there were far more important signings that we needed to get.
The fact that are actual target Andy Carroll who Alan Pardew has said he’s wanted was let go of so easily says it all. Sure I didn’t want him at the club, but for the manager to want him that much you’d think we would have made an attempt to bid.
It’s also becoming harder for us to hide our transfers, although Cabaye and Cisse came out of nowhere, just look at Loic Remy. Everybody knew about that.
Since our scouting policy is so good, we are being scouted ourselves. Somebody mentioned yesterday or the day before that Alan Pardew has said he wanted three players through the door by pre-season training.
With all this extra money coming in, I have a feeling Mike Ashley will pocket it and claim we struggled to get them through the door.
Sure, I hope they prove me wrong. But I highly doubt they will.
ONLINE GUY
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:52 PM
Comment #56gonufc (not Arf’ bad)
Aye , I find it strange to , Your dead right in what you say ..I can’t fathom the Perch sale out ..it makes no sense at all ,,and If its done over the Managers head then are we in for more trouble ?
I will never understand the goings on of the club I love ..still never a day without some crazy news for uz eh ?
Toon-Prodigy
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:57 PM
Comment #57Why hasn’t there been any bids as such?
Where is the planning, they have a list of targets?
I don’t want to hear about it’s only 3 days in, Carr has been scouting and watching players since he has been here. We are trailing again, players are being snapped up.
Brilliant, we have a list of targets, then we employ a DOF that decides if we want them or not. Dear me.
Can we safely say that Carr’s hard work and clocked up air miles have been a waste by having a DOF threw in amongst it all right now? Is it having an effect on this window? It certaintly has got to slow it down. It’s up in the air right now.
We have Carrs lists, what Pardew wants and then Joe Kinnear to decide if it’s what we really need?
Why wasn’t Joe brought in through January? Planning planning planning. Where is the common sence? Why? Forward thinking does not happen under Ashleys ownership at this club, atleast not on the footballing side.
5 year plan?
Inept squad, no stability, terrible PR, resignations, miffed manager and coaching set-up, poor planning.
Have a good neet lads.
John Tudor
Jul 3, 2013 at 7:59 PM
Comment #58bang on toon p
toon kk
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:00 PM
Comment #59Big pappa cisse….not a bad team on paper but where’s the pace and where’s the goals coming from?
John Tudor
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:01 PM
Comment #60this club is so full of it its like a slurry tank
Jail for Ashley
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:01 PM
Comment #61Ginger@55,
Who is saying what ?
jazzyp
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:01 PM
Comment #62evening lads I see its the same old same old and no purple signing of yet
first may I thank perchinio for his service and would like to wish the lad all the best in his future endeavour’s at wigan.i know he wasn’t the most gifted player to don a black and white shirt ,but over the last two seasons has definitely been one of our more reliable and consistent players.
has hazzy1 been around at all today re siem de jong. heard from Louis laros that there has been no official approach for the ajax captain
Belfast
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:03 PM
Comment #63In a ideal world Monaco & Psg get into a bidding war for him
Big Pappa Cissé
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:07 PM
Comment #64@ Toon-Prodigy
That is a question I posed a couple of days ago. That’s why I am so anxious about our first signing this window as we know it will have Kinnear’s stamp of approval. If it turns out to be someone like De Jong or Remy then fair enough, but if it is someone like Bent I will be Fuming.
You can imagine Carr handing Kinnear his little black book of targets, only for Joe to say put it in my suggestion box, which turns out to be the paper shredder.
Belfast
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:09 PM
Comment #65Remy & Bent in would be a good start.
But if Spurs are interested in Remy he’ll go there.
Dondatta13
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:11 PM
Comment #66Our luck is such that we (Ashley) gambles on Remy and he gets serious jail time mid season…
Jail for Ashley
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:11 PM
Comment #67djm, previous post
“We know mike Ashley is no mug when it comes to negotiations”
Is that why Demba Ba left for 7M,Danny Simpson left for free and Leon Best was allowed to leave for 3M what with an injury to Cisse would have had us relegated ,Debuchy was lost apparently for half a million quid in which my opinion ruined last season along with a reported 1M extra for Douglas which was another hammer blow in our demise last time out,so please do tell wtf are you on about ?
Belfast
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:11 PM
Comment #68Supermac:“The only reason Jonas played so much last season is because of a clause in his contract saying ‘if fit, plays’!”
Anybody see this ?
It would actually explain a lot if true.
John Tudor
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:12 PM
Comment #69cordozo or nowt
stretchintoon
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:12 PM
Comment #707:30pm just got in from work & still we havent signed anyone!!!!!
John Tudor
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:12 PM
Comment #71best not be crouchie
WWYCD
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:16 PM
Comment #72Beginning to look a little slim pickings for striker options isn’t it? PSGs interest in Cabaye has been around for awhile and if they bid enough he’ll go but does he mean as much to them as the price tag we put on him that will be the question
Any decent new links today then?
Big Pappa Cissé
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:18 PM
Comment #73Cabaye can leave provided Matuidi and Gaimero come the other way.
SecretSausage
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:22 PM
Comment #74Gents, Please stop getting so worked up. The club are working very hard. I have some great contacts and rest assured there is a lot going on.
I already explained in the previous blog post and now I’ve just had more info.
There is a player arriving tonight. Unfortunately this is where I get slagged off because I don’t know who it is. But neck on the line time. Tonight is the night.
Have some faith. It’s a great club and there are reasons why they don’t tell the public about transfers and why they always insist on confidentiality.
Average_Contents
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:27 PM
Comment #75Hey guys just seen on ssn that st ettiens president has said the deal for pea is nearly done and dusted bar a few last minute things but he’s got the nod to go for his medical! Not saying we were in for him anyway but what a player to miss out on if we was!
mikeashleyisamackem
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:28 PM
Comment #76and who are you secret sausage are you in the circle a trust or somic
jazzyp
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:28 PM
Comment #77big papa -menez and sackho would be a nice option as well
Big Pappa Cissé
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:29 PM
Comment #78Hard to have faith in a guy called secret sausage 🙂 .
My problem with ITK’s is that they pop up out of nowhere and expect us to believe what they write as Gospel. Not saying people don’t have contacts or know something the average Joe doesn’t but unless they back it up with either
a) Previously proven to be correct
b) some actual proof other than words on a screen
King Arfa
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:29 PM
Comment #79Secret sausage heres to hoping your right mate i for one think someone will be in by friday dinner time i have already said that im hearing where in talks with arsenal over the loan of the ox but also that where recieving bids for ben arfa from a “russian” club sure we can all guess who thats if its true in the 1st place and even if it was no chance hed go to russia anyway!!!!!
John Tudor
Jul 3, 2013 at 8:29 PM
Comment #80its bent horsesh1t