We were first linked with 25 year-old Torino central midfielder Afriyie Acquah last summer and also about three weeks ago last month Ghana Soccer were reporting that Acquah was a priority signing for Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez.
Newcastle were said at the time to be willing to pay £8M for the defensive midfielder, although Italian Champions Juventus were also said to be interested in the player.
The news today is that Acquah is likely to be leaving Italy altogether this summer, with the player confirming a move to England is almost completed.
25 year-old Torino central midfielder Afriyie Acquah
This is what the 18 times capped Ghanaian International has said to footballmadeinghana.com:
“Yes, it is very likely I will be moving to England.”
“It is 90% complete, but we are still talking, once we finish, I am sure an announcement will be made.”
“It has been a dream of mine to play in England and I am very close to achieving this.”
The 18 times capped Ghanaian international joined Torino as a free agent from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in the summer of 2015.
He is a hard-working midfielder who is good in the tackle and does what defensive midfielders are supposed to do – win the ball in midfield.
He has even been compared with the Chelsea great Michael Essien because of his combative style of play and ability to win the ball.
While it’s an implicit assumption that he’s coming to Newcastle there have been no other clubs linked with him this summer – other than Juventus.
It is expected that Acquah will come in to challenge 22 year-old Isaac Hayden for the defensive midfield berth in the Newcastle first team with local lad Jack Colback very likely to be sold this summer.
There was a report only yesterday that Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce. Jack’s former manager at Sunderland, were willing to pay out £5.2M to get the Newcastle-born star.
The earlier report on Acquah in Ghana Soccer last month was that Rafa Benitez wanted to sign the Ghanaian last summer, but Newcastle being relegated stopped that from happening.
This lad looks like a strong player so let’s hope we can get him to Newcastle with the move said to be 90% complete – however often the last 10% is the most difficult.
But we hope we can this lad signed and through the door – and this week too!
🙂
Comments welcome.
96 comments so far
lesh
Jun 19, 2017 at 10:33 PM
Comment #81Bobbybee
Two things – once anyone catches the bug, greed has neither morals our bounds.
And, as far as Abraham’s concerned, I’d like to think that Rafa’s seen through his greed and the possibility of him disrupting the dressing room and will give him a miss. You never know, Rafa might just want to bring young Arma into the first team squad for the first half of the season before deciding whether the lad has what it takes to make the step up.
GeordieTwo
Jun 19, 2017 at 10:49 PM
Comment #82Beermonkey and I have been secretly experimenting with a new rocket powered, wheeled bobsled. We will be doing trial runs in various parts of the U.K. Have no fear lads both of us are extremely competent with rocket powered vehicles. I would try to stay clear of the streets and sidewalks however……
GeordieTwo
Jun 19, 2017 at 10:52 PM
Comment #83Here is a picture of beermonkey and me with one of our other amazing rocket powered stunt vehicles:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjIwNzA0ODUwM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzIyNDQ3MQ@@._V1_UY100_CR14,0,100,100_AL_.jpg
Lilongwe Geordie
Jun 19, 2017 at 10:57 PM
Comment #84Acquah is an interesting one. Very highly rated when he was at Palermo, but they then loaned him out to Parma in the division below, before selling to Hoffenheim for just a couple of million. Not sure he ever made an appearance for Hoffenheim, before being offloaded on loan twice and then sold to Torino. He only played around 1000 minutes in Serie A last season, the equivalent of 11/12 full games. His career stalled massively a while ago, and his disciplinary record makes for interesting reading. It will be interesting to see how he gets on, whether Rafa can get him to fulfil the potential that seemed to be there.
jimmysmith
Jun 19, 2017 at 11:32 PM
Comment #85The new Michael Essien would seem a bit hit and hope, but you never know. If these mooted transfers happen then it would indicate Rafa has bought into the Ashley model at least to some degree, and if he can make it work where in the past it clearly hasn’t then there will be good times to come. I like the model in theory, but making it work really does require genuine expertise and football nouse, which we now would appear to have. I live in an eternal but wary hope.
Oldgit1
Jun 20, 2017 at 12:00 AM
Comment #86Re Tammy, I’m concerned about the legal implications of the £1m which is reported to be to his agent and Tammys family, what share does his family get and how do we pay them, brown envelope ? Never heard of family members being involved in a deal before.
Hoping some of you legal guys on this blog can reassure me we are not doing a dodgy deal. We are in enough trouble with the tax man as it is.
Lilongwe Geordie
Jun 20, 2017 at 12:18 AM
Comment #87I’d have walked away from Tammy a long time ago. It’s fair enough for the kid to do what is in his own interests (not that I think this is happening), but if he doesn’t instantly feel playing reasonably regular football for Rafa Benitez on one of the biggest stages in Europe, let alone England, in terms of crowds, then let him go elsewhere and look for players who want to be here. Not convinced he is the answer anyway, but not worth waiting till the end of the championships for him, and the additional payments he and his agent seem to want are just ridiculous given he is wholly untried and untested at this level.
Bobbybee
Jun 20, 2017 at 12:23 AM
Comment #88Oldgit1 That’s a very valid comment you make. Is the money in question not basically an old fashioned and bung?
To be honest, the more I hear about this kid the less I like. For a player yet to make it in the PL he seems to rate himself a lot higher than most kids his age. Most are just happy to be playing, whereas this lad appears to think he’s already there with his demands.
Why do we want to pay his family? Why can’t he do that? It’s his family after all and I doubt any of them can play! He’s full of demands before delivering anything on the big stage.
We’ve got lads willing to run through brick walls for Newcastle who I’d much sooner be given the chance. He appears to me to believe he’s doing us a big favour just by considering a move up here. Is it worth it for one season? 50k a week for an untried prospect demanding game time? Just seems more trouble than he’s worth right now, but I hope I’m wrong – if he comes that is. If we’re good enough for the tap in king of course.
Just seems like he’s heading for a big fall and I don’t want us to be part of it.
Essex Geordie Bill
Jun 20, 2017 at 12:36 AM
Comment #89Wasn’t impressed with Abraham in the 1st u21 game and didn’t think much of him in the 2nd. Had about as much ball control as Diame and just as bad at heading.
jimmysmith
Jun 20, 2017 at 12:43 AM
Comment #90Well he can’t be guaranteed game time, and I’m sure both he and Chelsea know this. Like any other player he’ll be picked on form. It’s hard to know actually what terms he actually wants, but in his defence 23 goals in 41 games for Brentford in the Championship at 19 is pretty good going and so his services will have to be paid for no matter where he goes, but I’d agree he appears to be testing the waters with some pretty hefty demands. Can’t see us biting if the reports are accurate..
Oldgit1
Jun 20, 2017 at 1:27 AM
Comment #91@ Bobbybee thanks mate, I agree it does feel like a bung. There are plenty of young players who would give their right arm to be coached by our Rafa. This guy sadly thinks he’s made it already. I don’t want him anywhere near my club.
toonincheek
Jun 20, 2017 at 6:46 AM
Comment #92I seem to recall that Gazza, having agreed terms
the Spurz, went back, first for a house for his folks,
then for a car for his sister (and got both).
(or summit like that)
Markaccus
Jun 20, 2017 at 7:00 AM
Comment #93Wow. Things seem to have gatheted pace. Just got back from a week in corfu with the family, and there seems to be 3 or 4 decent signings in the offing. If I could afford more holidays, we’d have a champions league winning team by now ?
Markaccus
Jun 20, 2017 at 7:00 AM
Comment #94That was supposed to be a laughing face 😀
Markaccus
Jun 20, 2017 at 7:01 AM
Comment #95Better.
Markaccus
Jun 20, 2017 at 7:07 AM
Comment #96If we were buying Tammy, rather than loaning him, i would not be too bothered about jumping through a couple of hoops. However, as it is, I don’t think we should perform circus stunts for a player who is not fully proven and will go back to Chelsea at the end of the season. Someone is taking the p1ss. Probably the agent.