With Cheick Tiote anything away from Newcastle in January, then Newcastle could renew their interest in Nice’s 22 year-old midfielder Nampalys Mendy, who has played for all the French Youth sides and 5 times for the France U21 side.
Nampalys Mendy – 22 year-old Nice midfielder
With Cheick’s recent interview it does appear that Arsenal want the Ivorian and probably in January, although Newcastle would be stupid to let him go then, but we’ve done that twice before – letting one of our best players leave in the January window – Andy Carroll and Yohan Cabaye and failing to replace them.
While we hope Newcastle have learned from their past mistakes we still wouldn’t put it past them to cash in on Cheick in January and then struggle to replace him.
Newcastle have been credited with an interest in the 5′ 6″ tall player since early this summer, and he has played at Toulon and Monaco before joining Nice in June of last year.
The quote on Cheick Tiote is he would go for £16M – so the Mike Ashley philosophy of football would say we could sign his replace for about a third of that figure – say around £6M – after all Newcastle always have to make a (big) profit.
He is just 5’6? tall, and the way he plays is simple and reliable, and he has therefore been compared with the great former 77 times capped French international Claude Makelele, who is one inch taller, and ended up paying 140 times for Real Madrid and 217 times for Chelsea.
Mendy spent three seasons at Monaco and played 80 times there, and in the summer of last year became a free agent and joined Nice, where he played 19 times last season.
Newcastle checked on the midfielder a number of times last season, and we expect Chief Scout Graham Carr and his team to continue checking on the defensive midfielder this season.
Even if Cheick does not leave in January, it would be a good bet that the Ivorian would push for a move next summer, and Newcastle do find it hard to keep their best players these days, because we cannot even offer them European competition these days.
Nampalys was born in La Seyne-sur-Mer in south-east France, and started his youth career at nearby Toulon, where he played for various clubs, but he then caught the eye of Monaco scouts for his simple and intelligent play, and in the summer of 2007, at just 15 years old he was signed by Monaco.
This lad is a very competitive player and a great passer of the ball, and like all great players he likes to play the simple pass and also has great positional awareness, and that’s very important, especially if you play in defensive midfield.
This lad would be a decent signing, but he couldn’t be expected to come into the side in January and immediately perform, and what has happened this season should make Newcastle wary that when we sign players from the continent, it takes some (considerable) time for them to adjust to English football.
We hope Newcastle are not stupid enough to allow Tiote to leave in January – but you never know with Newcastle these days – and our standing in the football world has already dropped again this season.
What do you think?
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10 comments so far
Rake
Oct 2, 2014 at 4:05 PM
Comment #1What will Mendy bring that Anita and Bigi wouldn’t even if they were played?.
Maybe Carr is trying get him sacked by scouting players Pardew can’t use.
Average_Contents
Oct 2, 2014 at 4:07 PM
Comment #2So Tiote’s come out and said he’s been misquoted then eh! Yeah ok then.
More like been forced to backtrack as after all the PR spin of late from the kings favourites ie team spirit. We’re all in it together and trying hard. Tiote’s quotes didn’t exactly endorse this did they. North Korea indeed.
Just for clarification “the Bishop” has always been with fatty and is only more recently employed by the king. So all this talk of parachuting in to save the kings bacon is absurd, he’s been in the background for awhile
Go toon gooooo
Oct 2, 2014 at 4:11 PM
Comment #3Sissoko instead of Tiote.Mehdi Abeid can be Sissoko’s replacement off the bench.Why new players on that ffs DM position.Sissoko can be better DM than Tiote for sure.He is bigger and more clean player than Tiote.Tiote is red card unstable.
Average_Contents
Oct 2, 2014 at 4:19 PM
Comment #4I do find it extremely strange how when the rangers share offer hit the market he didn’t participate and actually stated he had no intention of doing so.
3 weeks later he’s purchased shares off a shareholder thus increasing his stake from 3-4% to 8-9% making him the second largest shareholder currently at ibrox.
Somethings afoot and he’s being a sneaky fat kunt about it!
There both bringing this once proud club to its fcuking knees under the pretence of balancing the books and providing stability.
Give over and get to fcuk you pair of twats!
chuck
Oct 2, 2014 at 4:23 PM
Comment #5We already have what I describe as a ready made replacementfor Tiote, in Bigirimana.
Anyone who watched him play in he few minutes he’s been given by Pardew, will see the resemblance n their games.
The difference is Bigi, choses his hit’s, not sending every tackle into the stands.
He is also a much better passer of the ball and unlike Tiote, upon recovering the ball, looks for the best available outlet.
Seems he, like many others , is not on Pardews favorite”s list.
A mistake IMO, give the guy a shot, I believe he can do the job better than Tiote, but needs game time.
jimBOB
Oct 2, 2014 at 4:29 PM
Comment #6we have Bigi, this lad even looks abit like him. leave it ooot.
mag92
Oct 2, 2014 at 4:34 PM
Comment #7The next manager to replace gormless, would be better news!
Mag52
Oct 2, 2014 at 4:37 PM
Comment #8Rotonda.
The point I’m making is that if a manager has only one or two real quality players in his team, and they are sold from under him by an avaricious owner, without adequate replacements, the whole outfit is bound to be affected.
Pre Xmas last season we were in sixth place and going well. I’m sure you will put that down to unbelievable good fortune, but that’s cr@ p. wins are wins, points are points. It’s a tough league.
Cabaye was sold to make a profit, and Loic Remy knowing he was off anyway at the end of the season, and not wanting to pick up an injury prior to the World Cup, was notable by his absence for the rest of the season.
Result – Appalling series of results from January onwards.
You’ve only got to look at Liverpool’s performances since Suarez left, and this in spite of spending heavily in the transfer window, to see how losing a key player will adversely affect a team, even a team with as good a manager as Rodgers.
giimps
Oct 2, 2014 at 4:43 PM
Comment #9AC Cashley was probably gambling on the price dropping for the shares due to lack of interest, typical of him, like when he dumped £200m shares for SD on the market to teach the board a lesson for refusing to give the bonuses, then when the share price had dropped by enough , he bought them back and made £75m in the process…..hes not a billionaire for nothing
wynsleap
Oct 2, 2014 at 4:58 PM
Comment #105’6” tall? Yeah let’s put him alongside Anita in midfield. That’ll really frighten the likes of Ya Ya Toure etc. in the Premiership. God forbid.
If we get any more small players we’ll soon be running out to the tune of ‘Hi Ho’ instead of the Local Hero.