With Alan Pardew talking about Newcastle possibly bringing in some flair players today, we suggested this morning that Newcastle may be after 20 year-old Lille midfielder Florian Thauvin.
Florian Thauvin – why are we now bidding so high for this player?
And there is news tonight that Newcastle may have made a massive €12M (£10.2M) bid for the youngster, who joined Lille last January for a measly €3.5M, and at that time Newcastle were also said to be interested in the player.
So our question has to be – why didn’t we go after him in January when he going for 35% of the current price?
And what does it mean that we are now bidding for a central midfielder, when we are still short of a top striker?
Thuavin’s value went up during the U20 World Cup in Turkey in the summer, when France were the winners, and Thauvin was one of their best players, and he has refused to train this week at his club, as he is trying to force a move away from Lille.
But the French press are reporting that Marseilles is the club he really wants to join, and if we are paying out so much for a midfielder, does this mean that Newcastle will now sell Yohan Cabaye?
We need a striker because we find it hard to score goals since Demba Ba left in January, and that should be our major target – and has been our major target according to Alan Pardew and Joe Kinnear.
So at least on the surface this news seems to make little sense, although we obviously don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, and maybe we have other signings also lined up.
If Cabaye is to go, and we still bring in a top striker even on loan then yes – this would make some – so if Cabaye is to move, we wouldn’t expect him to be in the squad for our game tomorrow afternoon against Fullham.
Thauvin is a a very good player and a top future prospect – but we still need a top striker brought in before 11:00 pm on Monday night.
What do you think?
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53 comments so far
kt97toonarmy
Aug 31, 2013 at 12:15 AM
Comment #41Well lads I hope we win tomorrow like. Nd hopefully we get a few players in by Monday night but I’m goin off now.
C u all later
Sazzer
Aug 31, 2013 at 12:15 AM
Comment #42Compromise lads – we probably need all of it:
a couple of creative and hardworking midfielders
a couple of goalscoring and complete strikers
a few solid defenders
another decent back up for Krul
and most likely all of Pardew, Ashley, Kinnear gone
to even come close to winning PL.
Harrogate Geordie
Aug 31, 2013 at 1:29 AM
Comment #43Thauvin, Gomis in and I will be happy. Add Gus Poyet in the mix and I’d be delighted. I still can’t get over the thinking of giving Pards the longest deal in managerial history with no break clause?? Ashley’s an absolute clown..
JP...from The Rock
Aug 31, 2013 at 1:33 AM
Comment #44Ed I am thrilled by this news! We can’t complain about not signing players and not showing ambition and then when we do go for top players we complain also. Now that’s being fickle! I would love to see Thauvin here as he is an excellent player and despite of what you think Ed he is what we need and makes sense-not perfect sense as we could have got him in January much cheaper.
This deal may not even be true but I wish it is as it would show ambition from our club even if Cabaye stays or goes as I rate Thauvin a much better player than Cabaye. Cabaye gets lost in games and can’t get past his man. He can’t take corners but he can take lovely free kicks and gets makes some crunching good tackles at times. But he’s inconsistent and over-rated tbh. Thauvin is a much better player, operates more on the left wing which is perfect as we can replace him with Gutierrez and if Cabaye does leave we will have plenty of cover in Sissoko, Anita, Tiote etc. Thauvin is an excellent dribbler that loves to pass his man and create chances or score himself. He can also play in the middle but he will fit in very nicely here at NUFC and will no-doubt get St James’ roaring again.
Would be a brilliant signing even at that price, which I believe is the price his club actually put on him. I really find this news to believe as it will mean we will be paying the exact selling price- that would be a new one!
I hope this is true!!
Toonman1
Aug 31, 2013 at 1:41 AM
Comment #45no amount of creativity in our midfield would have made any difference against West Ham, pardew has about as much tactical knowledge as joe kinnears transfer dealings i’d like this kid he’d be great with a decent manager behind him just no point in buying him to play long ball and totally miss him out of the game anyway if pardew is going to insist on playing the long ball then creative midfielders are pointless.
i just had to register to this site to post this as some deluded fans think were going to buy players, that wont happen what will happen is we sign no one this window then ashley go’s bargain basement hunting in jan again let’s all hope it’s not to late by then because with pardew i can’t see us anywhere near top 15 he needs to go and now i’d rather have the tea lady picking the team and the groundskeeper sorting out tactics than pardew, and we need some decent coaches to go with them.
stuart no9
Aug 31, 2013 at 1:54 AM
Comment #46jp…from the rock-Ed I am thrilled by this news! We can’t complain about not signing players and not showing ambition and then when we do go for top players we complain also. Now that’s being fickle! I would love to see Thauvin here as he is an excellent player and despite of what you think Ed he is what we need and makes sense-not perfect sense as we could have got him in January much cheaper——
————————-‘ are you tired or what ? you still dont know how ash works do you ?
Sav
Aug 31, 2013 at 2:25 AM
Comment #47Could just be ‘tanks on the lawn’ Mashley showing spite to Marseilles for tapping up Gomis when we had a deal struck.
Seba29072
Aug 31, 2013 at 2:38 AM
Comment #48I’ve come to the conclusion that 95% of fans come on here to moan.
People need to relax a little, the window is still open and although it might feel like it, Mike Ashley is not trying to ruin your lives or destroy the football club he owns.
We have actively tried to get players but I prefer seeing us haggle over targets rather than fork out fee’s and wages for players like Bent.
I agree with Ed that it is odd we are now offering big money for a target we could have picked up 1/4 of the price in January but we had more pressing targets then possibly or we still think the fee represents value. Undoubtably it is also a back up for Cabaye leaving in the future whereas in January we weren’t as under pressure. I still think Thauvin is an AMC though and more like HBA than Cabaye.
I think if we can get this guy, keep Cabaye and push this Gomis deal through it will have been a successful window. We would have kept the same squad that were excellent in 2011/12 and are still progressing, along with the January additions and then brought in Gomis and Remy to replace Ba. Add to that no Europa League so we don’t need as near the depth.
So its annoying to see the fans moaning before its time to moan. Its like they want it to happen in some sick way because they enjoy beating on the team and management.
Its a bit silly at Newcastle as we all know but give us any excuse, which lets face it Mike Ashley has enough, we just go crazy. We should as a collective not be rising to these petty things and giving the media the ammunition to write yet another story.
NOVA2967
Aug 31, 2013 at 2:58 AM
Comment #49Actually, this bid would make perfect sense. How do we not need a left winger. We always have and everyone hates on Jonas so Yea we need this dude.
Cisse is garbage right now so we do need a striker but I for one love GOuffran think he is well worth a place in the team.
Same with Anita, if he is replaced by Cabeye then I am over Pardew. I mean think of Anita and Cabeye together even throw Sissoko in. I mean those three with Cisse -benny and remy would be class/ sissoko just isnt a CM he cant pass the ball around like the others. He has a few through balls in him but cant run a team like anita
Premiership Manager
Aug 31, 2013 at 5:26 AM
Comment #50I have a feeling this is pure speculation. We have too many French players and it is not healthy for the dressing room and the future of the club.
Add to the equation we can get Moses or Ince for £8M on reasonable wages,who are proven in the English League and it seems to be another attempt to sign another player who will not come to the club.
I don’t understand what Joe Kinnear is doing and if I was Pardew I would walk and to be honest that would do us all a favour and he would be able to leave with his head held high and dignity intact because it would prove that the Managers position at Newcastle had become untenable because of the board room issues which had excluded the manager.
Leaving it this late and not signing players early in the window has cost us previously and now due to the incompetence of the board we will be paying through the nose to watch championship standard football only to leave the ground each time thinking why do we bother.
An utter shambles which Laurel and Hardy could have made a better job of.
Douglas
Aug 31, 2013 at 7:00 AM
Comment #51We should/need to sell Cabaye. The little so and so. If not now, then January. Buying his replacement gives us leverage over Cabaye (he can be dropped) and allows his replacement to settle in.
NEWEXPATMAGPIE
Aug 31, 2013 at 7:37 AM
Comment #52The word, “Desperation”! comes to mind.
Totenham have signed Erikkson from Ajax for 12,5 Mil Euro,s.
Tony Alderweird is in Madrid and expected to sign for Athletico, pending his medical !
Cabaye will on his way come Monday to PSG, and Krul is still on the Gooners radar?
If we survive in the Prem this year it will be a bloody Miracle !
ToonMatt
Aug 31, 2013 at 8:19 AM
Comment #53It won’t happen, we are finished in the transfer window now and Remy was our only signing, expect Ashley to try and sell Cabaye or Ben Arfa for a profit though.