It was news on a Twitter feed yesterday that Newcastle had put in another bid for central midfield target Clement Grenier of Lyon of £7M – and Grenier is a player Newcastle have been after since we allowed Yohan Cabaye to leave in January for PSG.
Clement Grenier – would be a terrific buy for Newcastle
The source of that news is not really too authentic, and lots of untrue stories do the rounds on Twitter these days.
But we wonder if Newcastle are ready to go in with another bid for the 3 times capped French International play-maker, who would be a terrific buy for Newcastle United.
The news last week was that Grenier is available to move from Lyon in the summer, but Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas wants around €15M (£12M) for his play-maker, but Newcastle will not offer that.
Whatever another club wants for a player means that Newcastle will (always) bid less than that – it’s a Mike Ashley law the prevails on Tyneside. 😀
And Grenier has already been linked with AC Milan and Arsenal, and he has said he only wants to join a club playing in the Champions League.
It’s not that Newcastle don’t have the money, it’s just that Mike Ashley always wants good deals, and we suppose Newcastle think Grenier at £12M is not a good deal – even though we got £20M for Cabaye in January and £12M for Debuchy last week.
Earlier this summer former right-back Olivier Bernard thought Grenier was so good he could move for a phenomenal £20M – with Arsenal said to be retaining an interest in signing Clement.
If Arsenal are really interested in the player it could be difficult to bring the 23 year-old to Newcastle, but what’s wrong with Newcastle bidding a decent £10M as the next step?
Sometimes when you go after some very good players you have to pay out some decent money – and Grenier is a very good player and still only 23 years old.
Comments welcome.
Below are our three social media sites:
153 comments so far
nut meg
Jul 25, 2014 at 9:43 AM
Comment #1Repost
Jimmy Smith @ 5
I’ve been a fan for about 58 years & I’ve never heard that story about Bobby Charlton before so I wouldn’t take too much notice of it.
Markaccus
Benny doesn’t share his pies…..can you not tell ?
Markaccus
Jul 25, 2014 at 9:44 AM
Comment #2If arsenal and ac milan want him, then he will be playing for arsenal or ac milan.
Markaccus
Jul 25, 2014 at 9:45 AM
Comment #3Nut meg
Maybe thats why the rest of the players don’t like him. He never shares any of his munchies!
Scottiedog
Jul 25, 2014 at 9:46 AM
Comment #4The only way we will get Grenier is if Sissoko goes…….. Then who you bench????
We either now get a decent striker in OR give the likes of Arma & Aarons a run in the team till xmas and then get someone in if it goes wrong!!?!?!?
Slank
Jul 25, 2014 at 9:47 AM
Comment #5Grenier would be perfect for us. He is more the Cabaye replacement than De Jong.
Slank
Jul 25, 2014 at 9:48 AM
Comment #6Scottiedog
True, but isn’t that a nice problem to have ?
spitfire_
Jul 25, 2014 at 9:51 AM
Comment #7Slank
It isn’t “nice problem to have” just because pardew can’t handle the problems of any kind. His man management is abysmal.
jimmysmith
Jul 25, 2014 at 9:52 AM
Comment #8Yes, yes, all in all, I think its best to pretend I never heard it. Scurrilous.
beermonkey
Jul 25, 2014 at 9:54 AM
Comment #9why are people so obsessed with the fact we wont be able to play grenier or some1 else out the first 11 if we buy him
it goes to show we so used to only having 11 decent players
we need players like grenier in and more of that calibre we need them in defence and up front
with our squad and pardew were only ever an injury or 2 away from disaster
DanToon
Jul 25, 2014 at 9:57 AM
Comment #10My team v Man City so far would be…
………………………………..Krul
Janmaat Williamson/M’biwa Coloccini Haidara
……………………………….Tiote
…….Sissoko………………………………….Cabella
…………………………….De Jong
…………….Armstrong……………..Riverie
Subs: Elliott, Santon, Gouffran, Perez, Colback, Anita, S. Taylor
Have a real go at them for once…Obviously this wont happen as Pardew is a shocking manager and to scared to attack, hate that guy!
What do you think?
Mr Magpie
Jul 25, 2014 at 9:58 AM
Comment #11We have a recent history of returning to previous targets scouted by Carr & are persistent in getting them usually, even waiting till the next window to get the player we wanted.
This ethic is either based on the hard work & time gone into scouting them or more likely that Ashley just does’nt like being told no!!
I think there are a few transfers we are in negotiation of which this is one but it all depends on how cheaply we can get him & others in for as usual.
Lew Davies
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:00 AM
Comment #12Even £10M is a good price for Grenier, yet fatty is retching at offering £7M.
It’s so hard to understand why we have to bid low all the time.
If he is the right player for NUFC then we should just offer a decent amount.
Why quibble over a couple of mill and risk losing the player.
The morons running this club never learn.
jimmysmith
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:02 AM
Comment #13Mbiwa and Collocini in central defence and Armstrong and Rivière together up top on opening day?
Newcastle 0 Man City 5, quite possibly by halftime.
ethiotoon
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:05 AM
Comment #14ED…£12m for a player of Grenier type is
not too much,we offered £10m in January,
Lyon refused…
Now Lyon put him for sell,which pushing
Me to think Charnley & co waiting for Lyon officials to come…
I will be sad and deeply disappointed if this guy ended up in Italy or Russia…
deeps
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:08 AM
Comment #15If we cant buy Grenier..may be we should look at Valbuena..He’s available for just £5 million..
DanToon
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:13 AM
Comment #16jimmysmith – wont deny that, but its the best we’ve got in my eyes.
T.T.V.V.T.
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:14 AM
Comment #17@Slank
Exactly fella. Exactly.
I see a lot of fans are under the misconception that Grenier is exactly the same sort of player as De Jong. He’s not.
He’s a player who you could say is Cabaye’s replacement. De Jong is not.
Fair enough, De Jong is a number 10, but he’ll play far more advanced than Cabaye.
Grenier on the other hand is a Cabaye MK2. And he would play directly alongside Tiote in the middle of the park.
He played mostly in that attacking midfield role for Lyon last season but that’s only as they’ve got Gourcuff to play deeper.
I see Grenier as an orchestrator, the type of creativity we need but within the middle of the park rather than in and around their box – just as Cabaye was for us, and is for France.
£7m will be rejected. If that’s all theyre bidding then they clearly don’t want him that much.
I’d prefer Sissokko not to go. I think given the right players around him he will excel. But if he leaving then Grenier is a MUST for me. An absolute must.
And as for those concerned about Arsenal’s interest… You need not be.
Wenger has openly discussed Grenier and that as much as he likes him, he will not be going to Arsenal. It would only happen if Arteta was to leave, and that’s also been confirmed as rubbish.
It’s between ourselves and Milan, and even then, they’ve been sniffing around without bidding.
I would go so far as to say that given the deal Lyon are after, Grenier is ours if we want him. It appears however that we just won’t stump up the cash.
May have to wait until the last week or so of the window for this one to conclude.
connortee
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:16 AM
Comment #18He’ll never come to us EVER!!
Scottiedog
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:17 AM
Comment #19With potentially Colback, Anita & Goufran on the bench we are NOT going to get Grenier!! Lets give Aarons / Vukic / Abied a chance!!!! EVERYONE keeps saying we never give the youngsters a run so why not lets do it!!
beermonkey
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:17 AM
Comment #20slank/ ttvvt
is grenier as rounded as cabaye
cabs could play the holding role as we saw many times he had both sides attack was his best and favoured pos but he was an all rounder in the middle
Mr Magpie
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:28 AM
Comment #21BEERMONKEY@19
He certainly ain’t as rounded as Ben Arfa
beermonkey
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:30 AM
Comment #22mr magic
its relaxed muscle lol
pawl250
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:30 AM
Comment #23Grenier is a great player, but if we are going to spend 12m on him or remotely that amount of money on anyone it should be a 15+ goal scorer.
I love Grenier, I probably would have wanted him over Cabella in all honesty. BUT we do not have him and we do have Cabella.
Our midfield is currently
Tiote, Sissoko, Colback, De Jong, Gouffran, Ben Arfa, Bigirimana, Anita, Jonas, Obertan, Vuckic, Abeid, Sammy
Now assuming Ben Arfa, Obertan and Jonas leave you can maybe say we have room for another midfielder. BUT until then we are arguably strong, or atleast I believe it is our strongest area on the pitch.
The defence and forward line is another matter.
For me we need another versatile central defender (mold of Richards), with the view for RTaylor or STaylor or both to leave.
We need a striker, I mean you cannot think Riviere and Cisse is a strong PL strike force, it just does not compute for me. We need a finisher. Someone who will score 15 goals per season.
With the above done, then we can talk about Grenier.
nut meg
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:34 AM
Comment #24Scottiedog
I’d want to see our strongest team out to get points on the board before putting young kids in.If we have a decent lead in the game with maybe 15/20 mins to go then we can bring one on but not to start the game.
pawl250
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:35 AM
Comment #25For Man City I would go abit more defensive being a big team, albeit at home. Its is still Man City
———————— Krul
——– Mbiwa – Williamson – Coloccini
Janmaat ———————————— Colback
——– Sissoko – Tiote – De Jong
——————— Cabella
———————- Riviere
or
———————- Krul
Janmaat – Mbiwa – Coloccini – Haidara
———– Sissoko – Tiote
Cabella ——- De Jong ——– Gouffran
—————— Riviere
I think we should go for either of the two, but I think we would have a great chance of success on the counter. Certainly seems to work for the Mackems who probably have picked up more points up against City than any other team in the last 2-3 seasons.
T.T.V.V.T.
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:37 AM
Comment #26@beermonkey
Good question. Personally i think he does have those facets to his game. And like Cabaye he’s better when attacking. But he looks a disciplined player and picks and choses him moments to move forward when he’s playing in that deeper role.
We have Colback and Anita for those positions, this is true. When it comes to the premier league i’d play Colback in there ahead of little Vern every day of the week.
But at the same time he doesnt have the deep lying creativity of Grenier, and more importantly his ability to move the ball quick when it needs to be moved quick. Or pick a killer pass when he’s given time on the ball.
Anita is closer to that sort of player than Colback but i always get the impression that teams look to dive on Anita as soon as he comes close to the half way line. They use his lack of physicality against him and we’ve never seen the best of him with regards to his passing.
I’d love to see Grenier come to NUFC. Maybe it’s cos ive been talking him up so much over the last 6-12 months that i just want to see if he’d be as good as i think he will.
HAHA!
Mr Magpie
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:38 AM
Comment #27beer monkey
Yeah i’ll see if “relaxed muscle”works with the wife when she tries to put me on a diet!! lol
pawl250
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:46 AM
Comment #28Been reading Mbiwa could be away to Bordeaux.
If we let him go then we are idiots.
We should be looking to implement him in the centre this season and based on injury records of STaylor and Coloccini I would think Mbiwa will get his chance.
For me he is the best central defender we have, just not given a chance in his natural position. He is very similar to Coloccini, and if he were to leave then it would be like for like.
I think we need another defender to replace Williamson or STaylor as they are just not good enough. Back ups at best.
I think our best pairing would be Mbiwa and Coloccini but the issue is that they are not the best in the air.
Still, it would be my choice going into the new season to bed them in properly. STaylor is a disaster waiting to happen against Man City.
walkerlad7
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:47 AM
Comment #29Hi all,
New to the blog
My team prediction for city will be:
Krul
Janmaat collo Taylor santon
Colback tiote
Sissoko de jong cabella
Riviera
But personally I would like to see cabella where sissoko is and sissoko on the left or where colback is and put gouffran on the left I hope we get a decent striker in I think if we do we’ll get 61pts this season
T.T.V.V.T.
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:47 AM
Comment #30@pawl250 (22)
Yep. Pretty much mirrored my thought with this post.
Grenier over Cabella for me initially. Think the guy is one Hell of a player.
But Cabella is here, and should be great himself.
De Jong is in also, so creativity wise we look strong.
Striking wise though its much too much to ask Riviere to take the goal scoring burden himself.
And i say that because nobody knows how the heck Cisse will perform this season.
We are desperate for a top striker more than any other position on the pitch. It’s pivotal to our entire set up and threat this season.
Look at the season where Ba and Cisse played together. Teams sat deeper and had trouble breaking us down due to our work rate.
Without a top striker we may find that we’ve got the creativity to play some attractive stuff, but we leak goals for fun.
Best form of defence is attack and we need a player who can get you a goal. Force the opposition onto the back foot.
beermonkey
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:50 AM
Comment #31pawl
you can take benny obatan Jonas and bigi out of you list
and vuckic and abied
Jonas although still on the books wont play for us
benny don’t need to explain
obatan worthless
vickic not good enough struggled to get a game in league1
abied would have been sold already if the club he had been onloan at had any cash
bigi didn’t make the tour and will prob go out onloan
take them out and it doesn’t look that good
depending how Aarons does I would be inclined to use him as an impact sub and cup games but this would hinge on how he does against the tougher sides we have coming up
walkerlad7
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:57 AM
Comment #32Would anyone play this
Krul
Janmaat willo mbiwa hadaria
Sissoko tiote
Cabella dejong santon
Riviera
ilovetoon8788
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:58 AM
Comment #33whatculture.com/sport/newcastle-transfers-magpies-really-bid-7m-clement-grenier.php
__
We bid 7million for grenier? It can fetch the half of him here. Why even believe this stupid rumors?
pawl250
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:59 AM
Comment #34beermonkey
I agree but we still have
Tiote, Colback, Anita, Sissoko, De Jong, Gouffran, Cabella and Sammy
With that said who do you drop to bring Grenier in, think about it.
For me our best way to get our current midfield on the pitch is
Sissoko – Tiote
Cabella – DeJong – Gouffran
Subs Anita and Colback
If Grenier comes in do you move Sissoko wide?
Grenier – Tiote
Sissoko – De Jong – Cabella
For me its stronger, but you are taking Sissoko out of his prime position as seen with France. It would be like playing Cabaye out wide.
I just don’t get why we would buy Grenier when Sissoko is a great player in a different way. And we have creativity in De Jong and Cabella.
I am sure Sissoko is creative aswell given he got more assists than anyone last season.
Grenier is a luxury we simply do not need more than a striker.
I think our defence is ok, but it clearly needs a revamp, get rid of likes of RTaylor, STaylor, Williamson and bring in better players. No doubt Colo will leave.
For me Mbiwa is the only one I would keep in the central position and start thinking around that. I understand Colo is our captain and he has more experience but he wanted to be away, and I am sure he still does and is simply counting down the days.
beermonkey
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:59 AM
Comment #35pawl
if mbiwa goes
to think we will line up with saylor and colo at the back the combo that we went down with is terrifying
lets hope we bring some1 in
ttvvt
strikers
I think we have more goals in a midfield than we have had for a long time riviere is an unknown we just don’t know how he is going to get on
cisse we know when confident and with a team creating chances he will score were also more set up to get the best out of him
I do think we might go till xmas and the reassess the situation
problem with that we might have to pay more, or it could be a chance to get pea if he is not paying
barkel
Jul 25, 2014 at 11:00 AM
Comment #36where do people think we’re going to get a 15+ goal scorer from!? would love to see it but it’s not very realistic. last season there were 10 players scored 15+ , 3 of them were at city and two at Liverpool
Mr Magpie
Jul 25, 2014 at 11:03 AM
Comment #37Pawl250@27
Yeah exactly mate. Collo seems to have got his head sorted & has looked back to his best again. Mbiwa has plenty of potential & pace too, just needs to keep his head & not dive in.
I would be happy to see Williamson & Saylor go if Richards was loaned in with the option to buy if he remains injury free & bring through Good & Satka.
Pottsclock
Jul 25, 2014 at 11:03 AM
Comment #38I think Aarons has a reasonable chance of being on the bench and getting some game time because he has raw pace and is the type of player that can be brought on in the last 20/30 mins when either defending a lead and looking to break, or needing something different to get a goal.
If you remember in 2011, Pardew used Obertan off the bench in a similar way but because it was Obertan he was cr*p.
pawl250
Jul 25, 2014 at 11:05 AM
Comment #39Ideally this time next year I would like to see
——————- Krul
Janmaat – Mbiwa —- ????? —- ?????
———– Sissoko – Tiote
Cabella —— De Jong ——— ?????
—————–??????
Subs Elliot, Santon, Williamson, Colback, Anita, Gouffran, Riviere
Reserves Alnwick, Haidara, Cisse
The ???? are places we could improve.
You cannot tell me we have a great left back.
Colo will be a year older and should be on his way out the door.
Gouffran has qualities but he is not a quality player. He is a good hardworking player.
We need a 15+goals striker.
Sliema
Jul 25, 2014 at 11:06 AM
Comment #40Barkel
Benteke, PEA, Hernandez (if he is starting)