It looks like Newcastle will be able to sign Florian Thauvin from Marseille today, with Remy Cabella going the other way – but initially on a loan deal, and there are reports that both players are traveling to their new clubs today to complete the deals.
Florian is a good player, and it’s thought he will fit into Newcastle’s system better than Cabella, and in any case Graham Carr has been trying to get him to the club for three years now – so that may happen in the next day or two.
Florian Thauvin – coming soon
If the reports in the local papers are accurate, then this will be the last of Newcastle’s big money deals this summer but there may be smaller deals – probably to unload some players.
Haris Vuckic, Gael Bigirimana, Sylvain Marveaux, Mehdi Abeid, Rob Elliot, Yoan Gouffran and Mike Williamson are some of the players who may leave Newcastle before September, either permanently or on loan.
Newcastle will have paid out around £46M gross on four top players in Gini Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Chancel Mbemba and Florian Thauvin, so Mike Ashley has invested heavily in the team this summer – as he said he would in late May.
We have brought in three defenders – Chancel Mbemba and both Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow from their season loan deals to Nottingham Forest.
Jamaal does not look ready for the first team yet, and it will take some time for him to be ready.
So the Newcastle defense will still be the big weakness, and that’s even showing through in the first two games of the season when we have conceded four goals, and it could have been more.
There was news yesterday that Newcastle were after Monaco central defender Aymen Abdennour, and he would be a great signing for us.
However, the local papers are reporting that as far as big buys go this summer – that’s it with Thauvin – so our defense will still be our weakness.
That’s unless Steve McClaren and Ian Cathro can sort out the back four, and have them playing a lot better than they have performed in the first two games.
We would have been very happy if another top center-back had been brought in, and along with the other four senior players plus Ivan Toney – it would have been an almost perfect summer transfer window for us.
But we have concerns the defense has still not been fixed.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
103 comments so far
ilovetoon8788
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:16 PM
Comment #81We don’t need thauvin or Austin. We need defenders badly. If we shore up our defence the rest of our players will have confidence and freedom to play their natural game.
Right now our players look so fearful.
hibbit
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:16 PM
Comment #82i got that mr tuff but you were implying that others weren’t up to speed when in fact it was you
Tsunki
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:16 PM
Comment #83Remember, we’re still under the ” pound for pound value” remit. No easy way of distancing ourselves from that.
Our Toon
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:17 PM
Comment #84We could have spent that amount and bought in Micah Richards on a free!! Then I’d say it’s been a good window
hibbit
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:18 PM
Comment #85bobby its the one thing everybody agrees on
Tsunki
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:18 PM
Comment #86Ilovetoon – Aaahhh but we DO need Austin. In fact we really need an Austin article right now to relieve the tension. 🙂
Tsunki
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:20 PM
Comment #87Carr – ” but he’s on A FREE, Mikey!”
MA – “I don’t care I’m not paying THOSE wages!”
JackButler
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:20 PM
Comment #88I think Carr’s reputation could take another severe kick in the nuts with this one as he’s trying to fix an mistake (Cabella) by replacing him with exactly the same type of player.
Our Toon
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:21 PM
Comment #89Ilovetoon
Thauvin looks quality in youtube. But, obertan can also look world class. So not buying too much into the clips.
I prefer to believe the French league fans on the net where some say Thauvin was one of the worst and disappointing player in the league last season.
French fans will rate Cabella very highly but fans of the prem will say he’s a dud. Prem fans will rate Henry very highly amd Juve fans will say he was shite.
Mister Tuff
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:22 PM
Comment #90Whilst this is primarily a football blog and should remain as such -I cannot see a problem with from time to time if it is quiet on thefootball front to discuss something else that may crop up. Cannot see a problem with that at all.
Plenty of folk may raise a subject on the blog or seek help/advice – what’s the problem with that. The latest one off the top of my head was yesterday or the day before when there was a discussion about streaming boxes/XBMC boxes. Advice was posted and nobody made any comments at all about the exchanges between posters.
However, it would seem to me that when certain posters are involved in a topic it always attracts the attention and adverse comments by (a) certain poster(s).
Clearly there is no constant complaint about the issue/topic but more about having a snipe/dig. Very duplicitous if you ask me.
Bobbybee
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:26 PM
Comment #91Hibbett, at last! We all agree. Does that make me less of a dick head or more? 🙂
hibbit
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:27 PM
Comment #92dont have a clue if this move for thauvin will work out but one thing that must be said is he is more like arrons then cabella
Sazzer
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:28 PM
Comment #93A lot of things happening in the CB market at the moment.
Mangala staying at Man City means that Valencia going to be looking in our market for a Otamendi replacement with more money than us. So no suprise if they steal Abdennour.
Also no suprise that Roma was prepared to offload Mbiwa to get Rudiger.
croftus5678
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:28 PM
Comment #94@61 hibbit
i’ve no idea about macca wanting him but i couldnt see any manager in his position turning him down tbh !
i agree with you our priority should be a cb and as people can work on many deals at the same time and not just one deal at a time i really do hope and have been working on a cb target !
i also think a goalkeeper that comes out for the ball to catch and punch the ball away from the 6/18yard box would improve our defence by a huge amount and a leftback who can stop people crossing would also cut goals conceeded bye half even if no cb was signed
bettyswallocks
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:29 PM
Comment #95Austin will thrive on good quality crosses from a pacey winger.
hibbit
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:31 PM
Comment #96bobby no mate it just makes you as daft as us we all have the same love we all want the best for are love we just all have different ideas on how to get it
JackButler
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:31 PM
Comment #97Can someone please explain to me how our board, consisting of McClaren, Charnley, Carr and Moncur, can sit around a table and come to a decision that with the current state of our squad what we really need is an overrated, out of form, lightweight winger?
Surely these four footballing geniuses can see that what we need to is address the reason we concede goals for fun!
Am I reading this whole situation wrong or are the four tops actually happy with that back four???
Munster Mag
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:32 PM
Comment #98Our Toon, I think Thauvin is more what we need now than Cabella. Cabella wasnt really fast enough to play wide all the time. As I said, I feel we really overrate Carr and this is another case in point.
Our Toon
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:36 PM
Comment #99Munster
Cabella was never a wide player or a winger in France. I’m no advocate of Carr but isn’t it the manager who chose to play him as a winger/wide player rather than in the no10 role?
Cabella was scouted though playing in the no 10 role!!
Bobbybee
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:37 PM
Comment #100Hibbit, agreed mate. The thing is, we can debate all day, but Ashley does what Ashley wants to do regardless of how we feel. Now, if you want to call him a dick head, I’ll back you 100% 🙂
Graeme
Aug 18, 2015 at 4:39 PM
Comment #101It may even have some truth about it – we can but hope!!
http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/17/newcastle-lining-up-transfer-offer-for-monaco-defender-aymen-abdennour-5347567/
Munster Mag
Aug 18, 2015 at 5:56 PM
Comment #102Our Toon, he wasnt strong enough pysically or mentally to play 10 in england. He was a bad buy. Carr gets the horn for small skillful players. he should have bought Pardew the fast tough players he wanted and we would be mid table or a bit wose. Bored mind you. !
bigiffius
Aug 18, 2015 at 6:37 PM
Comment #103You’ve very much americanised the word ‘Defence’ into ‘Defense’