Newcastle continue to be linked with 23 year-old Schalke center-back Joel Matip, and with one year left on his contract the Magpies could get a decent deal for the Cameroon International. this summer.
Matip has said he could stay at Schalke for the last season of his contract, but that hasn’t stopped there being multiple reports that Newcastle have made this 6ft 4ins defender their top defensive target this summer.
Joel Matip – very high on Newcastle’s list
One of the other top center-backs we were interested in is Monaco’s Algerian International Aymen Abdennour, but there are several top European clubs keeping tabs on him, and surely Newcastle have very little chance of attracting him to Tyneside.
The two goals we conceded early in the game last night against Mexican Club Atlas, came from two indifferent plays from each of our center-backs, and it’s almost certain Newcastle will need at least one top class center-back this summer.
We need at least one top class center-back and one top class striker brought in this summer as an absolute minimum.
Last night in Milwaukee Steve McClaren seemed positive when he said Newcastle were getting close to a second signing.
While that would appear to be Aleksandar Mitrovic of Anderlecht – the 20 year-old top Serbian International striker – Newcastle could surprise us.
They certainly did last Friday when we signed a really great player – Georginio Wijnaldum – the Dutch Player of the Season and the PSV captain.
So far we cannot accuse Newcastle of not going after some top talent in the transfer window.
We’re hoping for another signing within the next day or two and hopefully it’s a striker or a central defender..
Joel Matip has been at Schalke since 2000, when he signed on for them as a 9 year-old.
He made his first team debut back in November of 2009 as an 18 year-old against Bayern Munich, and since then he’s appeared 211 times for the club with 18 goals.
Germany were keen for him to play for them at International level, but Matip decided he would play for Cameroon (his father was born in Cameroon), and he made his debut for the African side in a friendly against Italy in March, 2010.
He was in the Cameroon squad for both the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa as a 19 year-old, and in last year’s World Cup in Brazil.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
27 comments so far
Tsunki
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:20 AM
Comment #1Ashley Out!
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:20 AM
Comment #2It will be interesting to see if McClaren will use a CAM ay all this season and settle for a 4-3-3 with one in the hole.
It would mean we definitely need new forwards and that winger with an end product.
Tsunki
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:21 AM
Comment #3Buy him. Must be better than what we have 🙂
Our Toon
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:24 AM
Comment #4Kevy
Going to the gym or going on runs etc gets you fit but there is a massive difference between being fit and being match fit, if players didn’t need to be match fit they wouldn’t run the risk of playing friendlies.
SDJ will take a long time to get back to normal, he missed an entire season with us and missed a big chunk the season prior to buying him. Patience mate!!
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:26 AM
Comment #5Tsunki,
Positionally Matip is awful. He has lapses of concentration. I hope this isn’t our main defensive target. He reminds me of Titus Bramble in that he can at times look very good, but is prone to very costly errors. Better than Bramble, but has similar flaws.
Still, better than what we have, but I wouldn’t be confident with him alongside any of our current defenders.
Our Toon
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:26 AM
Comment #6Think Bigi is being used at RB to build up match fitness nothing more than that, Ferguson as LB is nowhere near good enough, how promising gets banded about is beyond me. Overall a good workout, thought we came out 2nd half and protected the defence by pressing as a team higher up the pitch which was good
Our Toon
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:27 AM
Comment #7Will be back soon have fun
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:27 AM
Comment #8Stillthink we need a make shift and quickly!
I have always thought it’s a waste to use pre -season on players who won’t feature!
…unless nothing is really going to happen!
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:28 AM
Comment #9*Still think
kevymartins
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:29 AM
Comment #10Sort of team I would go for. ……krul….
Janmaat____van dijk__matip or saylor_haidara
Sissoko__Tiote or red__Gini_Aarons
____________cabella or De jong____
______________cisse_________
Something like that many a new lb aswell
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:30 AM
Comment #11Our Toon…Patience and the right training program is the key to a player like Siem!
…but I do have my doubts about him to be fair…it’s a tough league and tough climate. Not sure he’ll cut it…
beermonkey
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:31 AM
Comment #12did satka go on the tour to the states??
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:33 AM
Comment #13Beer…I am actually not sure! Only 23 players left I think (the same we had last season basically)
…a bit sad really! Oh well oh well. .
kevymartins
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:34 AM
Comment #14Lilongwe Matip is 23 do you think Sol Campbell played every season like his Invincible season?
Personally I think Matip is very good but would have loved it if the club had of just signed Natasic when he was available.
Rotonda heights
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:36 AM
Comment #15yes I have heard disturbing reports of matip, mainly from lilo it has to be said. Wish we would really make a statement of intent and go for rutiger.
From the atlas match i hope NUFC are brave enough to try to keep playing it out from the back after all the total s–t hoofball we’ve witnessed for the last 4 years.
It’s never going to look good though if that total non footballer Willo is the one designated to bring the ball out, combined with Krul’s non existent distribution coaching from woodman snr.
Willo, saylor, colo, goofy, obertan and woodman snr really need to be punted now
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:38 AM
Comment #16Rotonda…if we are going to play it out from the back we need a new central defense among other!
Our Toon
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:39 AM
Comment #17Jesper
SDJ is probably the best and most intelligent footballer we have in our squad, injuries are holding him back but trust me this lads some player. It’s not a quick fix with him, game time is what he needs and hopefully its what he gets
beermonkey
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:39 AM
Comment #18jesper
it is sad at least good is out there
hopefully McLaren will have players like satka out onloan this season
had a look at the number of players derby had out onloan it was about 16 we don’t hit double figures when we send 5 to rangers
croftus5678
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:39 AM
Comment #19over our 2 games so far the players that have impressed are.
aarons
siem
sissoko
cisse
colback
hairdryer
arma
lescalles
cisse/hairdryer/aarons who are the only consistant ones so far the others having the odd good 10mins here and there !
imo those 3 are starters next game.
we desp need a striker and a cb i can rest a little easier if we get those.
Ron Knee
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:40 AM
Comment #20For nut meg’s ears only:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wy_YNF7q6Q
kevymartins
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:40 AM
Comment #21@lilongwe let me pick your Brain here
Who is the most under rated CB in the Premier League right now?
I think it’s pritty obvious imo I know who I would choose all day long.
hibbit
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:41 AM
Comment #22rotonda…..no clubs have have asked about these players a part willo …..boro were told 2m they never came back
nufc 11
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:51 AM
Comment #23We need a real winger 2 someone who can cross the ball not a false one who only cuts inside and can be snuffed out at ease by the better defenders. Matty Philips was the best id seen last season at hugging the line, beating his man and crossing the ball into the box giving the strikers at QPR food and drink to work off. Why do you think Austin got 18 PL goals last season? Even at 10 million id take him why arent we being linked with him its as clear as day we need his type forget hot and cold townsend.
Jail for Ashley
Jul 15, 2015 at 9:53 AM
Comment #24My biggest worry about this transfer window is that unless we manage to get rid of Collo, Willo or STaylor we won’t be bringing in anyone new. If it’s Collo that goes and we only bring one in we sre no further firward.
The overrated Frenchman
Jul 15, 2015 at 10:03 AM
Comment #25I completely agree with LG on Matip. He is a really good player but not the rock solid CB we desperately need.
nufc 11
Jul 15, 2015 at 12:20 PM
Comment #26Michael Dawson is a top top cb badly needed at nufc can head tackles reads the game and more importantly he loves defending not like colo he has a complex he actually thinks he is holding midfielder like David Luiz and was forced to be a cb never works.
musomag
Jul 15, 2015 at 10:04 PM
Comment #27There’s talk of the CB being Douglas, didn’t JFK turn down the chance to get him on a free?