There’s a report TuttoMercatoWeb.com today that Newcastle are interested in signing Argentine International Sevilla central midfield star Ever Banega.
Ever is a very good technical player who started his career with Boca Juniors, and came through the Youth Academy at the South American club and made his debut when he was just 18 years old.
After playing 28 games for Boca over two seasons he was quickly spotted for his great ability – he is a superb passer of the ball – and was signed by Valencia in 2008, where he played for five years before signing for Sevilla last August, for an undisclosed fee.
Ever Banega – Sevilla central midfield player
He has played 34 times for Argentina after making his debut back in February 2008 when he started the game in a 5–0 friendly win over Guatemala.
Banega won an Olympic medal in 2008 in Beijing with Argentina, and appeared in two Copa America tournaments, helping the team to the final of this years tournament, when the lost 4-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw after extra time.
According to the Italian report Sevilla want a fee of €13M (£9.1M) for Banega, who is a very good technical player, and it seems Newcastle are offering him around £40K/week on a four year contract to come to Tyneside.
But the Argentine is an excellent play-maker and could fit in well with newly arrived Georginio Wijnaldum, who could be deployed further upfield.
The Argentine can certainly offer some additional class in Newcastle’s midfield, which Steve McClaren is pushing for at his new club.
He played 185 games at Valencia scoring 11 goals with 30 assists over five seasons, and last season at Sevilla he scored three goals with our assists in 49 total appearances.
In May, Banega started for Sevilla in the 2015 UEFA Europa League Final defeat of FC Dnipro at Poland’s National Stadium, when they won 3-2 and he was named Man of the Match.
That was Sevilla’s fourth Europa League win – a record.
He’s an interesting and exciting target for Newcastle, and maybe he is one of the players head coach Steve McClaren says we are close to signing?
But will he want to give up European football to come to Newcastle, that’s the question.
We’ll see.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
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226 comments so far
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:15 PM
Comment #1BandB
Alan Pardew? 😀
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:17 PM
Comment #2Top Argentine MF!!! We need a top Argentine MF now that Jonas is gone!!! This is beautiful!!!! And you lot were saying we needed strikers and CB’s…..Harrumph.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:18 PM
Comment #3Yet….another…..fcuking…..MIDFIELDER.
DEEEE FENNNNN DERRRRRS Penfold!
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:18 PM
Comment #4We will never part with wor Belgian midget strikers scottoon mate. Out of the question….Harrumph. After all we can pay them under the table…..
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:19 PM
Comment #5Deep lying MF’s YCMIU mate. Sweeper MF’s… you clearly haven’t understood the Penfold strategy…..
King Colback
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:20 PM
Comment #6Newcastle still in for Mitrovic apparently
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/newcastle-united-transfers-magpies-still-9663962
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:20 PM
Comment #7I hate to bring this up again but why are midgets so good at writing short stories???
scottoon
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:21 PM
Comment #8Word out of the US is that Johnny Cochrane is available on free. Top, top defender…..according to OJ.
Of course he’s no MF so he might not fit our transfer policy.
Jib
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:21 PM
Comment #9BandB
They take a break in a 2 part season to play their version of the FA cup in the States .
Their fitness levels don’t drop .
They are playing nothing like preseason friendlies .
You said
“Jib
I don’t follow this.
It seems their season runs over more or less the same period as ours and that they are also playing pre-season friendlies.”
I could see your eyelashes fluttering as you were thinking (got the bastid !!!)
You were clearly wrong
If you backtrack any more you’ll get a speeding ticket in reverse gear.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:21 PM
Comment #10I think its prnfild who doesnt get it. He doesn’t understand what very deep lying MFs are,so if we tell him they are defenders,he might pick up a few dddms.
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:22 PM
Comment #11Can Mitrovic play in the MF King mate? Is he aware of our tactics? Does he like MF play??? I think we need to know before proceeding any further…
scottoon
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:23 PM
Comment #12Relieved about the Belgians, G2 mate. Their low wages keep them under the radar.
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:25 PM
Comment #13And Robert Kardashian scottoon!!! He’s a top defender!! Oh wait….he’s dead so that might have to be taken into consideration….re-working wor low bid for him now…..
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:25 PM
Comment #14Mexico league Starts at the end of this month. It ended in May. They are, indeed, playing freindlies. You can tell because Atlas’ record (check underneath their name on 25th july)is 0-0-0. That means there have been no games. Hence the season is starting at the end of july, not long before ours.
King Colback
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:26 PM
Comment #15GeordieTwo probably not lol, we need defenders though
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:26 PM
Comment #16Arrghhhh scottoon. Low flying Belgians….beautiful.
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:26 PM
Comment #17Have you ever been short changed by a Belgian midget scottoon??
scottoon
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:34 PM
Comment #18Nah mate, but I did change my shorts whilst in Brussels when I was very small.
Does that count.
scottoon
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:35 PM
Comment #19I believe that a dead Kardashian is still far more expensive than wor Willo. We can still go in with a cheeky low bid, or maybe a straight swap deal?
BandB
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:37 PM
Comment #20Jib
Their Liga Mx season ended on May 17 with the second leg of a play-off with Guadalajara.
Their Copa Libertadores campaign began in February and ended with defeat and elimination on April 22.
The first Copa MX game of the year is on July 29. after the new season starts.
As anyone who checks can see.
Being rude doesn’t make you right.
I’m finished with this now. Anyone who chooses to believe you, can.
calvinzolamakongo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:39 PM
Comment #21Quality player bargain price they still can’t believe Valencia sold him in Spain and for so cheap prob the best mf in Spain outside the top 3 if deployed properly
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:43 PM
Comment #22BandB
It’s blatantly obvious. He even said himself Apatura means opening. People who can read know you are correct.
BandB
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:43 PM
Comment #23Thanks Mark.
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:47 PM
Comment #24Getting back to the importance of MF’s, how many of our last 10 player acquisitions have been MF’s?? Last 20? Just curious about the numbers. Surely 15 of our last 20 incoming have been MF’s? Why???
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:50 PM
Comment #25I have read on several North American sites that Atlas are late in their pre-season.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:51 PM
Comment #26G2
In all seriousness, it’s getting daft now. We have essentially been ignoring the need for decent CBs for several seasons. It’s almost as if there is a strange phobia. It has to be sorted this summer,surely?
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:52 PM
Comment #27Crucial question vis a vis your experiences in Brussels scottoon mate…..did you find a honey badger when you made that change? I’m still missing one…..Harrumph
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:52 PM
Comment #28G2
Correct. Like BandB has been trying to drill into Jib, they start a new season at the end of this month.
scottoon
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:53 PM
Comment #29G2 – surprisingly few MF signings relative to other positions according to information on nufc.com.
In:
Jan 2011 Hatem Ben Arfa Olympique Marseille £5.75m
Jan 2011 Alieu Darbo Le Mans Trial
Jan 2011 Stephen Ireland Aston Villa Loan
Feb 2011 Shefki Kuqi Unattached Free
Feb 2011 Tamas Kadar Huddersfield Town Loan ended
Feb 2011 Matty Grieve Stockport County Loan ended
Feb 2011 Joan Edmundsson Gateshead Loan ended
Mar 2011 Ryan Donaldson Hartlepool United Loan ended
Mar 2011 James Tavernier Gateshead Loan ended
May 2011 Wayne Routledge QPR Loan ended
May 2011 Ben Tozer Northampton Town Loan ended
May 2011 Fraser Forster Celtic Loan ended
May 2011 Xisco Deportivo La Coruna Loan ended
Jun 2011 Yohan Cabaye Lille £TBC
Jun 2011 Demba Ba Unattached Free
Jun 2011 Sylvain Marveaux Stade Rennes £TBC
Jul 2011 Mehdi Abeid Unattached Free
Aug 2011 Gabriel Obertan Manchester United £TBC
Aug 2011 Davide Santon Inter Milan £TBC
Aug 2011 Rob Elliot Charlton Athletic £TBC
Sep 2011 Michael Richardson Leyton Orient Loan ended
Sep 2011 Ryan Donaldson Tranmere Rovers Loan suspended
Sep 2011 Phil Airey Hibernian Loan cancelled
Nov 2011 Ole Soderberg Darlington Loan ended
Nov 2011 James Tavernier Carlisle United Loan ended
Nov 2011 Steve Harper Brighton Loan ended
Dec 2011 Jeff Henderson Gateshead Loan ended
Dec 2011 Ole Soderberg Chesterfield Loan ended
Dec 2011 Nile Ranger Barnsley Loan ended
Jan 2012 James Tavernier Sheffield Wednesday Loan ended
Jan 2012 Dan Taylor Ashington Loan ended
Jan 2012 Papiss Demba Cissé SC Freiburg £TBC
Feb 2012 Phil Airey Gateshead Loan ended
Mar 2012 Joan Edmundsson Viking Stavanger Released
Mar 2012 Haris Vuckic Cardiff City Loan ended
Apr 2012 James Tavernier MK Dons Loan ended
Apr 2012 Curtis Good Melbourne Heart Trial
May 2012 Valentin Gjokaj FC Luzern Trial
May 2012 Christophe Lowinsky Olympique Marseille Trial
May 2012 Nile Ranger Sheffield Wednesday Loan ended
May 2012 Alan Smith MK Dons Loan ended
May 2012 Fraser Forster Celtic Loan ended
May 2012 Romain Amalfitano Stade De Reims Signed
Jul 2012 Gael Bigirimana Coventry City Signed
Jul 2012 Curtis Good Melbourne Heart Signed
Aug 2012 Vurnon Anita Ajax £6.7m
Jan 2013 Mathieu Debuchy Lille £5m tbc
Jan 2013 Paul Dummett St. Mirren Loan ended
Jan 2013 Marcus Maddison Blyth Spartans Loan ended
Jan 2013 Michael Riley Blyth Spartans Loan ended
Jan 2013 Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa Montpellier £6.7m tbc
Jan 2013 Yoan Gouffran Girondins Bordeaux £2m tbc
Jan 2013 Massadio Haidara AS Nancy £2.5m tbc
Jan 2013 Moussa Sissoko Toulouse £2m tbc
Jan 2013 Kevin Mbabu Servette £tbc
Mar 2013 Jonathan Mitchell Workington Loan ended
Mar 2013 Curtis Good Bradford City Loan ended
Mar 2013 Michael Richardson Gillingham Loan ended
Apr 2013 Brad Inman Crewe Alexandra Loan ended
Apr 2013 Sammy Ameobi Middlesbrough Loan ended
Apr 2013 Michael Richardson Birmingham City Trial ended
Jul 2013 Olivier Kemen Metz £tbc
Jul 2013 Michael Richardson St. Mirren Trial ended
Aug 2013 Loic Remy QPR Loan
Aug 2013 James Tavernier Shrewsbury Town Loan ended
Aug 2013 Adam Campbell Carlisle United Loan ended
Sep 2013 Jonathan Mitchell Workington Loan ended
Oct 2013 Steven Logan Annan Athletic Loan ended
Jan 2014 Michael Richardson Accrington Stanley Loan ended
Jan 2014 Dan Gosling Blackpool Loan ended
Jan 2014 Luuk De Jong Borussis M’Gladbach Loan
Apr 2014 Curtis Good Dundee United Loan ended
May 2014 Shane Ferguson Birmingham City Loan ended
May 2014 Adam Campbell St.Mirren Loan ended
May 2014 Jonas Gutierrez Norwich City Loan ended
May 2014 Mehdi Abeid Panathinaikos Loan ended
May 2014 Romain Amalfitano Dijon Loan ended
Jun 2014 Ayoze Perez CD Tenerife £tbc
Jun 2014 Jack Colback Unattached Free
Jul 2014 Siem De Jong Ajax £tbc
Jul 2014 Remy Cabella Montpellier £tbc
Jul 2014 Emmanuel Riviere AS Monaco £tbc
Jul 2014 Daryl Janmaat Feyenoord £tbc
Aug 2014 Facundo Ferreyra Shaktar Donetsk Loan
Aug 2014 Karl Darlow Nottingham Forest £tbc
Aug 2014 Jamaal Lascelles Nottingham Forest £tbc
Sep 2014 Adam Campbell Fleetwood Town Loan ended
Oct 2014 Freddie Woodman Hartlepool United Loan ended
Nov 2014 Remi Streete Port Vale Loan ended
Nov 2014 Jonathyn Quinn Blyth Spartans Loan ended
Dec 2014 Tom Heardman Gateshead Loan ended
Dec 2014 Adam Campbell Hartlepool United Loan ended
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:54 PM
Comment #30I agree Mark mate. What is this about? I’ve never heard of a MF fetish over here? Did someone once whisper in Mike’s ear “always go after the midfielders Mike. Remember that, it’s midfielders you’re after. Good lad Mike..” I believe it was Joe Kinnear.
Jib
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:55 PM
Comment #31BandB
You should have that tatooed on your forehead
“Being rude doesn’t make you right”
Ha ha ha ha ha
Mark lives up to his sycophantic reputation
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:59 PM
Comment #32Scotoon
And on that entire list, the only ready-to-go CB is Yanga mbiwa…who has been moved on. Somebody up there needs a slap 😀
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 6:01 PM
Comment #33You cheated scottoon mate. That’s more than 20. And I was thinking of first team players. So can you shorten that list to last 20 first team players? I’m probably wrong but I can think of so many….Cabella, Cabaye, Gouffran, Colback, Sissoko, De Jong, Tiote, Abeid, Gosling, Amalfitano, Ferguson, and Bigi all had minutes with the first team.
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 6:01 PM
Comment #34Oh, and I forgot Obie and Benny.
GeordieTwo
Jul 15, 2015 at 6:02 PM
Comment #35Jib, just admit you’re wrong like a manly man would….
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 15, 2015 at 6:09 PM
Comment #36Jib
Sycophantic reputation? Some other nonsensical claptrap you have invented.
My support of BandB in this instance is because she is blatantly correct. You, as usual, despite being wrong, are still trying to come out of it on top. You seem so keen on winning competitions that you create yourself. It would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic.
Incidentally,I am pretty much always going to take BandBs side over you because of the old lady and bingo jibes. No need for that ageist cr@p.
Our Toon
Jul 15, 2015 at 6:13 PM
Comment #37Another midfielder isn’t needed.
CypriotDelight
Jul 15, 2015 at 6:14 PM
Comment #38Ed cheers for the link to the game – for me it was great to see the Toon playing again. There are pros and cons to take away but it is early doors and I agree that the defence must be a topic of concern 4 SM.
Best part is AmeriToon got his shirt signed 🙂
Graeme
Jul 15, 2015 at 6:14 PM
Comment #39Just been sent this and thought it should have more exposure!! lol
Wijnaldum is magic
He wears a magic hat
Could’ve signed for sunlun
But then he said fcuk that
He wants to be a Geordie
But comes from Rotterdam
And if he scores a worldy
I’ll let him shag my mam
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 15, 2015 at 6:14 PM
Comment #40Our toon
He is needed. SM is going to play 1-8-1 formation!