The Mail is reporting that Newcastle are very close to the signing of Anderlecht center-back Chancel Mbemba for about £7M, and the player was not in the squad that faced Lazio in Brussels for today’s game.
Sportsmail is reporting that Mbemba himself asked not to be included in the squad, with his transfer to Newcastle said to be very close – and the signs are that he will follow his pal and team-mate Aleksandar Mitrovic to Newcastle in the next few days.
Chancel Mbemba – didn’t want to play today
In fact Aleksandar Mitrovic has been seen within the hour arriving at Newcastle Airport.
The reported fee for Chancel is said to be around €10M – which is around £7M.
And in addition to the Mail report, Atletico Madrid were one of the other clubs interested in signing Mbemba, who has 16 caps for DR Congo, and new today they have signed another center-back.
There is a report in Italy today that the top Spanish side are about to sign Stefan Savic.
The 24 year-old former Manchester City defender and 32 times capped Montenegro International was left out of the Fiorentina’s pre-season tour at the last minute.
He was withdrawn from the tour 45 minutes before the squad was due to leave, and told a deal had been agreed to sell him to Atletico.
The report was put out by Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport and the fee quoted is £10.5M.
While we know nothing is certain (because of the Loic Remy affair) until the player passes his medical and signs along the bottom line – it does seem that Newcastle have won the race to sign Mbemba.
Having the two Anderlecht players on board at Newcastle will be good – because it will help both of them to settle in quickly on Tyneside.
Oh yes – I almost forgot – they are also two excellent players who will strengthen what were weak links in the team last season.
If we sign Mitrovic for around £12.5M and Mbemba for £7M, and since we have signed Gini Wijnaldum for £14.5M, Newcastle will have brought in three players that cost us £34M so far this summer.
That would be a good start, but we still need at least two more top players brought in – one more center-back and one more striker.
How about Charlie Austin of QPR and Monaco center-back Aymen Abdennour?
Comments welcome.
268 comments so far
Jail for Ashley
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:46 PM
Comment #1Ashley Out!
woodnufc
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:46 PM
Comment #2Only seen this lad play 3 or 4 times but from what I’ve seen he looks like a beast! It’s awesome that we’re being seriously linked with CB’s like him!
lesh
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:47 PM
Comment #3Atletico Madrid to sign Lily Savage?
😉
check the toastie
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:48 PM
Comment #4Great Info BamBams, first up with the news, quicker than SSNHQ, you the man.. 🙂
Who’s coming in next?!!!!
Get yourselves on betfair exchange boys, just had £15 at 25/1 we get top 6, don’t really expect it but massive price considering we seem to be putting the club in order…
It where we belong…..
lesh
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:50 PM
Comment #5Now, will he go for another CB or gamble on Collo, Saylor, Dummet, Lascelles?
I’d guess they’ll stick with Collo with Lascelles being eased in for this season.
JackButler
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:50 PM
Comment #6Any hope of a decent season rests on replacing Williamson, Captain Fantastic Colo and Saylor, the rest of the squad isn’t to bad tbh
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:51 PM
Comment #7Lesh
From previous. Thanks for the update. Feel happier now i know Ed is on it 🙂
Blackley and Brownlie
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:52 PM
Comment #8Loads more out and loads more in, please.
geordie157
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:53 PM
Comment #9Getting these two in will be great business by the club. If we can get the likes of Abdennour and Shaqiri as well, then that would be a great window!
Oh and Byram or Holgate as rb cover.
juan
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:53 PM
Comment #10Anybody think we’ll still go after Charlie Austin?
JackButler
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:55 PM
Comment #11For us to get Austin, someone will have to be sold as there’s no way we will carry five strikers
Noel Worst
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:55 PM
Comment #12Watched extended highlights of him on Youtube. Looks lazy, if an attacker gets a yard on him when anticipating a cross he just gives up, easily fended off by big strong STs as he hasn’t really got a big frame. Has a decent leap, but at not even 6ft he needs it.
I know highlights don’t tell the the whole story, just what I gleaned from watching 5 matches. Here’s the best example, in the thick of the action at both ends:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjiPm69VUOY
I don’t understand selling Mbiwa then buying this guy for more money.
I’ll just put it down to good, solid defending not making for good highlights. Not as excited by him as some thought.
catchy in norway
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:56 PM
Comment #13got some good players in so far, just need to see obertan and williamson go out,
im very optimistic about the season ahead
im in Denmark
Bambams
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:57 PM
Comment #14Check the toastie
As soon as I hear anything will put my neck on the line mate
Enjoy fellas
Belfast
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:57 PM
Comment #15Dansk maend ud !
Noel Worst
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:57 PM
Comment #16*though
Shadow_Shearer
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:57 PM
Comment #17Repost from last thread
Does anybody know anything about mbemba, watched a wee bit of him, seemed like a mapou yanga m’bia. Same height, fast, versatile, only real difference is mbemba seems a bit stronger. I think people are only gettin excited over him purely cause we need a defender
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:57 PM
Comment #18I think Colo will be gambled on this season, as he looks set to retain the captaincy. If the mbemba signs, and plays well, and we can also bring Lascelles through, then we might be ok (id rather just sign 2 cbs but unlikely now). We will know by January if its going to go wrong, so we can buy/loan another cb then if needed.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:58 PM
Comment #19If the mbemba??? Wtf?
If mbemba*
JDdubai
Jul 19, 2015 at 5:59 PM
Comment #20I cant picture Colo staying and being a bench player, doesn’t seem to fit properly. I think IF, and its a big if, we get 2 CBs in then i think he is the one to leave.
Saylor and Willo will be happier to be backup i think and then Lascelles will be the work in progress for the future.
Even if we dont get these players it nice to see people starting to believe it could be possible, rather than recent times when we all knew it would never happen. The blog is a better place with some hope.
JackButler
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:00 PM
Comment #21Having Colo as captain is like employing a mute as a public speaker. The guy shouldn’t even be wearing the shirt let alone having the privilege of being our captain, if any player needs to shipped out and replaced its that waste of space
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:02 PM
Comment #22JD
It’s also not unusual for Mash to suddenly smash that hope to bits! I am staying cautiously optimistic for now
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:02 PM
Comment #23$*$^^@^%%÷£¥$_@/@ING PHONE
Optomistic
BandB
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:02 PM
Comment #24Bambams.
Top job.
You tipped off more than the blog today.
Belfast
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:02 PM
Comment #25Markass some important information about this lad from Ed yesterday.
At most he’s 26 due to turn 27 next month, if indeed he was born on 30 November 1991 – otherwise he’s 20 due to turn 21 next month, or 23 and due to turn 24 in November.
Hope that helps…
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:03 PM
Comment #26JB
But hasn’t SM already said he is staying?
doofa the loofa
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:04 PM
Comment #27MA in
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:05 PM
Comment #28Belend
Yeah i saw that 😀
That first scenario makes no sense though. If he was born 30th november, he cant have his birthday in august!
Jail for Ashley
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:05 PM
Comment #29Jack Butler,
I honestly can’t see them bringing in two CBs and as much as I’d like to see Collo replaced due to his shite attitude, it would be pointless having him here and on the pay roll. So a partnership with him and this new lad might not be so bad.
will die for the toon army
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:05 PM
Comment #30We have a signing that will sweep us off our feet says Lee Ryder. I think that Abdennour and Austin.
Colo, Willo and Taylor hitting 30 doesnt look promising. Pound for Pound.
Durmett, Lasceles and Good dont provide good hope.
JackButler
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:06 PM
Comment #31Youcouldntmakeitup
This is football and we all know that things can change quickly. If SM has said he’s staying I’d be disappointed tbh as he’s simply not good enough and we need a true leader at the back and Colo has never lived up to that imo
the ledge
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:06 PM
Comment #32Well if the reports on him from Belgium are true we are geting a young kompany
Shadow_Shearer
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:07 PM
Comment #33Anybody who thinks we are going to buy two new centre backs, fat boys will have already counted Lascelles as one of them. That’s why we are only after one more!
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:08 PM
Comment #34JB
Yep things can and do change quick in football. Still think willo goes before colo,though.
JackButler
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:08 PM
Comment #35Jail
Even if he does stay he should be stripped of the captaincy as we need a leader, someone vocal, someone calm and someone to lead by example and Colo fails on all those counts
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:09 PM
Comment #36Knowing our luck we will sign Bad Kompany
Reyantoon
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:09 PM
Comment #37while difficult what might happen behind the scenes in transfer business,it looks like the addition of Mbemba that sway or persuad Anderlecht officials to sell Mitrovic to us.Don’t know Mbemba well but i don’t think he was our primary target.great effort from Nufc to fight it out till the end to land him.Looks like Charnley knows what he’s doing afterall..
Jail for Ashley
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:11 PM
Comment #38Living in the real world I suppose we can’t complain if we do only bring in one CB but I think it will be madness if they bodge over RB cover again.
JDdubai
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:12 PM
Comment #39This guy is oNly 6 ft though, putting him and Colo together wont work. They both need a big tough CB next to them, gods not Willo!
Abdennour would fit the bill, then release Colo, Saylor and Lascelles backup, Dummett after that, Willo off too.
Jail for Ashley
Jul 19, 2015 at 6:16 PM
Comment #40JB,
Fully 100% agree with that, his attitude and behaviour have been totally unacceptable over the last two years. Williamson deliberately getting sent off, his Everton red was blatant shirking.