The Evening Standard are reporting that Tottenham have made a late enquiry about the availability of Newcastle defensive midfielder Cheick Tiote.
After failing to land Victor Wanyama of Southampton, who is off to join the Kenyan squad during the International break, it seems that Spurs have turned their attentions to 26 year-old Axel Witsel of Zenit St Petersburg, who has played 60 times for Belgium – and he is now their number one target.
Cheick Tiote in training this summer
The London club are thought to be willing to pay £17M for Witsel, but the Russian club want closer to £25M.
When PL clubs now go after targets in Europe, they will be quoted much higher transfer prices, because the clubs will know Premier League clubs are getting big money these days.
However, with only four hours left in the summer transfer window Spurs have a lot of work to do to sign anybody, and we just have to hope they got short change from Newcastle when they asked about Tiote’s availability.
They should have been told that Cheick is not available, because he can still do a good job for Newcastle this season, even if it’s not always as a starter for the Magpies.
While Cheick is not starting for Newcastle at the moment, he has been out a long time and we expect him to be challenging Jack Colback and Vurnon Anita for one of those midfield holding positions.
The Ivory Coast International still has two years to run on his contract at Newcastle.
With four hours to go to the end of the window, Newcastle should just sit tight and say no to any late offers for any of their players.
Comments welcome.
35 comments so far
John Tudor
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:09 PM
Comment #1let him go let him go
to quote disney
JamesToon
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:14 PM
Comment #2Can’t let Tiote go now that we’ve gotten rid of Kemen.
Kemen was a ready made replacement for Tiote, and we fucking got rid of him
JamesToon
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:15 PM
Comment #3Can’t let go of Tiote now that we’ve got rid of Kemen, Kemen was a ready made replacement for him now we’ve fcked him off
sweendog
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:17 PM
Comment #4let him go and get a young replacement in ..
swemag
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:24 PM
Comment #5Bad timing. After letting Abeid and Kemen go we cannot sell Tiote unless Coloccini is going to play defensive mid.
ALternatively let Wijnaldum go deeper and put in De Jong as Attacking mid in his place.
Yeah, cash in. Tiote has seen his best days.
Blackley and Brownlie
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:25 PM
Comment #6Just waiting for the 6pm Austin article from Ed. The one that takes a tangential swipe at Carver.
John Tudor
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:25 PM
Comment #7ive not seen those tbh
DaraghL
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:35 PM
Comment #8Waiting for Lee Charnley’s statement on what he will be doing for the next 3 and a half hours until the deadline closes…
“It will down to the wire! I’m also considering Breaking Bad or Gossip Girl”
Rotonda heights
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:37 PM
Comment #9ed
don’t know why you’re so defensive. firstly 8M would have been great for Dummet and Tiote has declined and been injured or suspended so much in recent seasons I’d bite their hands off for anything around 5M.
Far more annoyed about abeid and kemen, than Tiote
JamesToon
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:40 PM
Comment #10SKY SPORTS:
SAINTS HAVE SIGNED VAN DIJK
jimmysmith
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:40 PM
Comment #11Its hard for me to believe that our midfield three won’t ultimately be Tiote, Wijnaldum and DeJong, with Sissoko also in the central midfield mix, and Perez in the side somewhere.
DaraghL
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:41 PM
Comment #12Rotonda –
When people say they’re worried about our top players leaving I struggle to think who they’re referring to.
I would have happily sold Tiote and Dummett for those prices (big Dummett fan but £8m?” if we had time for replacements. As is I would be reluctant to sell anyone. Competition for places can be a great thing if player’s expectations are managed.
DaraghL
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:43 PM
Comment #13Anyone see the Moses story?
Chelsea have placed him on loan and given him a new 4 year deal with a payrise? I would have thought it was make or break for him now. Surely they should just sell.
geniusofthelamps
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:46 PM
Comment #14yes let him go. way past his best and we should only be playing one defensive midfielder so either colback or anita – not both. we need more control of the ball in midfield so I think colback should sit in front of back 4 and then have wijnaldum dejong perez thauvin and cisse in front in a 4-1-2-3 or 4-1-4-1 however you want to call it !!
Munster Mag
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:48 PM
Comment #15Rotunda, i would keep him for now unless the bucks are very good. Agree re Abeid but in fairnes, 3 managers havent rated him that highly and they are working with him daily…We have a major creativity problem at NUFC in midfield and it will have to be addressed for home games. I rate Anita nd Colback a little less ( but still like him ) but we need more creativity from the centre of the pitch. Sadly your old mate snaffled Cabaye to Palace 🙁 .
Take a Chancel on me
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:50 PM
Comment #16Come on get a player or two in the next 4 hours
lochinvar
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:50 PM
Comment #17GUTIERREZ JOINS DEPOR
Former Newcastle winger Jonas Gutierrez will join Deportivo La Coruna as a free agent, subject to a medical.
Good luck and thanks for all your spirited efforts for The toon
Munster Mag
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:50 PM
Comment #18James Toon, I think Van Dijk is overrated. He is not a good aerial defender. I would still take him though 🙂
lochinvar
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:51 PM
Comment #19Just ask Sours for Harry Kane , that’ll shut them up
Munster Mag
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:51 PM
Comment #20Good luck Spiderman, from a devoted Toon fan in south west Ireland!
county down magpie
Sep 1, 2015 at 2:57 PM
Comment #21Vuckic signs a contracte extension and loaned out to Wigan for the season
hibbit
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:04 PM
Comment #22i would rather have kept keeman then vuckic
AmericanGeordie
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:05 PM
Comment #23I’d sell Tiote in heartbeat for anything over 6,000,000 due to his age, declining productivity and lack of anything going forward.
McClaren is going to play a 4-2-3-1. Colback & Anita are holding for now, but I could see Wijnaldum or even Sissoko in there which would create space to add a another creative player like DeJong or Aarons up front.
MacToon
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:12 PM
Comment #24Been pleasantly surprised with the summer dealings but like others, think it’s again too little for some areas of our squad. I imagine a big problem has been moving on those who haven’t been wanted and they’re too comfortable with their current lucrative contracts.
Funny seeing two of the biggest clubs around having deadline day problems. It’s a stupid idea to have the window open so long into the start of the season imho.
6 pm is also a daft time for us fans, no drama into the night. However, we don’t really do deadline day transfer buying. Can’t think of us getting too many late, a few leaving mind 😉
pawl250
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:14 PM
Comment #25Skysports say we may be selling Williamson.
Vuckic should have been allowed to just leave, likewise Ferguson who is only on loan for his last year of contract.
Kemen is not a great player. Surely if he was as good as some on here say he is he would be starting for us week in week out. I cannot say I have seen enough of him for myself to judge, but given he cannot make the bench when at times we were at the bare bones last season says alot.
Still think we need a right back in. I would sell Williamson with the view to buy a new CB in January window.
I would also sell Cisse given the chance to replace him with Austin.
MacToon
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:16 PM
Comment #26*can’t help thinking who I’d prefer, an in form Colback and Anita marshalling our central midfield or an in form Cabaye and Tiote!
pawl250
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:16 PM
Comment #27Would not complain if Tiote was allowed to leave.
Really is not as good as some here make out.
pawl250
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:18 PM
Comment #28Mac
Tiote and Cabaye surely.
Tiote may not be a great, but in the year we had Cabaye he looked alot more solid than now. He is past his best.
But yes I would take Tiote and Cabaye. Just enough bite and creativity. Unlike Colback and Anita.
pawl250
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:20 PM
Comment #29That said right now, Tiote is past it so it would be like having Cabaye alone against Anita and Colback.
BUT if we could turn the clock back and say Cabs and Tiote then or Colback and Anita now.
Give me Cabs and Tiote.
Novocastrian66
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:26 PM
Comment #30Cisse plus cash for Austin?
bettyswallocks
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:30 PM
Comment #31Vuckic in !
Glad we’re giving him a new contract and a chance to prove himself out on loan.
He could still make it with an injury free run.
cyprus
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:38 PM
Comment #32Tiote, for one reason or another, has been a bit part player for a while, so…
On experts vs. non-experts here, I’m not sure why some are climbing on a high horse, either to prove their point or to disrepute others.
As far as I know, and I’ve been here for a while, there never has been a top player or professional high level coach here. And even if that were the case, they too are often dudes who muddle through and hope for the best 🙂
So, as far as I’m concerned, any opinion by anyone is legitimate, if it is supported. We are free to agree or disagree, or we can have ‘favourite’ posters who seem to know what they are talking about, or who have a good sense of humour.
Take a Chancel on me
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:43 PM
Comment #33looking at what other clubs have done in the window we look desperately short of quality players in places
1949BH PROUDTOBEAGEORDIE
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:45 PM
Comment #34bill-son 16 on previous . was right about gomis said he was made for ncle and got criticised for it, and said cabella went down too easily when i watched him .unfortunately we were put off by fees for gomis and signed rivvi instead who is poor . some posters were saying we should sign grenier recently. ha ha he has only started 4 games since march 2014 three losses and a draw and is lazy and gutless and out for 4 more months.
Take a Chancel on me
Sep 1, 2015 at 3:45 PM
Comment #35we are Linked to Aaron Lennon on loan!!!