Newcastle are reported to be interested in signing former Liverpool center-back Martin Skrtel, who only left Liverpool last summer and joined Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
The report is in Turkish outlet FotoMac, but it wouldn’t be difficult for any outlet to simply assume Rafa would want the 32 year-old at Newcastle, whether it was accurate or not.
Skrtel is still a good player and maybe a couple or three years at Newcastle would help the stability of our defense and he would certainly add some Premier League experience with Martin having played a massive 242 games in England’s top league for Liverpool in the eight years he was at Anfield.
32 year-old former Liverpool center-back Martin Skrtel
FotoMac are also reporting that Celtic and Swansea may be interested in the player who turns 33 at the end of this year – so he still has two or three good years left at the top level in football.
The fee seems a little high at £4.8M, but Skrtel had a good season at Fenerbahce last season and he could be worth that amount of money to Newcastle over say the next three vital years for the club.
The report details that Swansea and Celtic are also interested in the Slovakian, with the Turkish powerhouse having paid £5M for him last summer.
Skrtel made 49 appearances across all competitions last season and after some reflection maybe Skrtel signing for Newcastle would be an excellent move for Rafa to make this summer.
Benitez signed him for Liverpool from Zenit Saint Petersburg back in January, 2008 on an initial four and a half year deal for £6.5M.
The 90 times capped Slovakian International ended up staying there for eight years and was a huge success for the Reds.
As we said earlier, the more we think about signing Martin this summer the more it makes sense as a short three year solution that will add immense experience to Newcastle’s back four.
Martin also has excellent leadership skills and is a no-nonsense defender.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
133 comments so far
cyprus
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:27 PM
Comment #81I consider Owen our worst signing ever, in terms of opportunity cost and cost/benefit.
But it may not have been completely his fault. He was already down the injured road when we got him.
Having said what I said in the first sentence, he had still been a brilliant player, while it lasted.
See sturridge.
welshgeordie9
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:28 PM
Comment #82Sign quality players, we can’t even get tammy in how on earth are we going to get players in that’s even better.
cyprus
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:28 PM
Comment #83Beer put it well.
WWSBRD
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:33 PM
Comment #84cyprus
Sturridge is a lot better than Aaron’s and has seen a lot more game time than him over tge past 3 years
OneAlanShearer
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:33 PM
Comment #85Yeah don’t need any players with poor injury records. It’s false economy no matter how good they are, no good in the treatment room.
Sturridge was a class player but injuries make him half that player. No thanks.
We should go all out for iheanacho.
RUNAWAY777
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:39 PM
Comment #86Gayle and sturridge after a half a dozen game we would have know strikers as they would be on side lines like Owen for most of the season so no thank you move on .
WWSBRD
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:40 PM
Comment #87As I said each to their own but is happily have Sturridge
WWSBRD
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:43 PM
Comment #88RUNAWAY
So Sturridge who saw 20 PL games and Gayle who saw 32 league games last season will both manage 6 next season?
Not sure it gonna be right there tbh
WWSBRD
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:53 PM
Comment #89And rumblings of Rafa being unhappy coming out I will take as a signal to leave and stick my head in the sand
Nice chatting boys and girls so long
BenArfa the magician
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:54 PM
Comment #90Rob Draper?Verified account @draper_rob 17m17 minutes ago
More
Doubts about Benitez future at #NUFC after failure to secure key targets: Abraham, Delph, Mangala, Caballero. More on @MailSport shortly
BenArfa the magician
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:54 PM
Comment #91Rob Draper?Verified account @draper_rob 16m16 minutes ago
More
My understanding is that Benitez is hoping situation can be resolved – but it’s been a very tricky start to transfer window
BenArfa the magician
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:55 PM
Comment #92Charnley proving to be a useless w@nkpiece again.
yorkymag
Jun 24, 2017 at 9:59 PM
Comment #93If we could get Sturridge then go for it he and Gayle would be great cover for each other and could be rotated nicely
With reference abrahams I am not convinced that he said no ,I guess we decided he was too pricey not the other way round
I am certain this next week is going to be a good one Rafa is in complete control and the press ,the chronicle,nufc blog ie ,ed ,the mirror and sky have no idea .
Rafa knows and that’s what matters
yorkymag
Jun 24, 2017 at 10:03 PM
Comment #94Rob draper another one guessing again
ShirebrookToon
Jun 24, 2017 at 10:04 PM
Comment #95Oh here we go again! More bollocks to read tomorrow morning then.
Fantastic!!
yorkymag
Jun 24, 2017 at 10:06 PM
Comment #96The bloody window is even officially open !!!!
Belfast
Jun 24, 2017 at 10:08 PM
Comment #97Well I’m not bothered about missing out on any of those targets to be honest haha
Belfast
Jun 24, 2017 at 10:09 PM
Comment #98Not really stellar signings are they like
RUNAWAY777
Jun 24, 2017 at 10:29 PM
Comment #99Here we go again rafas going to leave it is Sunday tomorrow so they need somethink for people to read or know ssles rafas going know where, when ever he does walk think he would let us no before any rag.
reilly
Jun 24, 2017 at 11:04 PM
Comment #100ed please change the blog back to how it was.
its fkin horrid ed.
Tsunki
Jun 24, 2017 at 11:39 PM
Comment #101Someone must have the technology to design a decently efficient crap filter so only the more credible “links” get through instead of the tsunami of groundless dross from the world’s needy attention seekers. I’d chip in a donation for the research 🙂
Unless of course Skrtel is being considered to fill the need we have for more desperately ugly baldies.
Tsunki
Jun 24, 2017 at 11:42 PM
Comment #102I hardly think Rafa is leaving just yet he hasn’t even driven his motor into his newly painted parking spot.
Tsunki
Jun 24, 2017 at 11:52 PM
Comment #103Inclined to agree with Reilly on that one Ed. Just because there are toys it don’t mean you have to play with all of them – less is more ha ha. I’ve tried to like it I really have. The killer for me is the splitting of article posts into multiple pages. Worst feature of all time 🙁
And what would have been an entertaining feature, the heart thing, is pointless. Never mind.
Tsunki
Jun 25, 2017 at 1:05 AM
Comment #104Anybody home over here across the pond?
lesh
Jun 25, 2017 at 1:12 AM
Comment #105Ashley assured Rafa that he’d have whatever was available to use for squad rebuilding He never said he’d add to that.
I suspect that Rafa’s working on a shoestring and Ashley’s been true to his word.
I’m probably wrong though and as far as Jiblet’s concerned, being negative.
As am aside, did the Beeb show Corbyn at Glastonbury?
one fine day
Jun 25, 2017 at 1:14 AM
Comment #106Let’s bring in skirtel, mooy, and team up with shelvey.
For the hell of it lets drag ketsbai out of retirement .
And a new all orange away kit .
We will have the Dalai Lama as our new celeb fan …. Has to be more palatable than tony Blair or ant n dec !
chicousa
Jun 25, 2017 at 1:28 AM
Comment #107Tsunki,
You over here in the states? Welcome to the wild side! 😀
chicousa
Jun 25, 2017 at 2:00 AM
Comment #108Uh….err….make that “welcome to the quiet side”
expatmag
Jun 25, 2017 at 3:06 AM
Comment #109Inactivity could be down to a takeover in the offing. I would love to know why Ashley suddenly sold up all onterests in Rangers including hus very lucrative shirt deal. I read somewhere that Rangers only got 7p from every pound on shirt sales. It is not like Ashley to give up without a fight. Maybe the same applies to hs.
Tsunki
Jun 25, 2017 at 3:50 AM
Comment #110Chico yes currently in Florida doing the parks thing lol never thought I’d be back doing this but maybe next time I’ll get to do the winnebago through the Rockies thing…it’s too hot here you have no idea how much I’m spending on beer 🙂
chicousa
Jun 25, 2017 at 4:14 AM
Comment #111Tsunki,
Enjoy Florida and the parks. Ice cold beer does have it’s medicinal value in hot and humid weather. Here on the west coast we have had something like 8 straight days of over 100 degrees F. So I feel your pain. If you get a chance try a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It is a local Chico, California product, although recently they have opened an east coast brewery in North Carolina. But Chico is the real home of that beer!
chicousa
Jun 25, 2017 at 4:27 AM
Comment #112expatmag,
I think you are right about that being a possibility. Since Ashley purchased “Agent Provocateur” a few months ago I am wondering if he might not be in some kind of ‘cash squeeze’ that is hastening this search for outside investment. If so I hope a good buyer/investor can be found quickly.
It may also be that transfers are lined up like dominos but for some reason are being held back until July 1st (beginning of new fiscal year???)
gonufc (Newcastle United Sports Direct Advertising Club)
Jun 25, 2017 at 4:47 AM
Comment #113A big no thanks to Skrtel for me. He’s rash and a liability and will now be slower than he was so even more likely to be caught out by someone.
Yet to be excited by anyone we’ve been linked with.
toonincheek
Jun 25, 2017 at 5:40 AM
Comment #114Agree with the comments above re blog format.
Splitting the blog into pages is only the 2nd worst feature.
The worst is not numbering the posts.
Jib
Jun 25, 2017 at 6:47 AM
Comment #115Christian Fernandez Martinez is a specialist in sports injuries who joined the Rafalution last season
He is on holiday back in Spain and gave this interview to his local paper
It gives some insight into Rafa’s thinking
http://www.farodevigo.es/deportes/ourense/2017/06/25/cristian-fernandez-martinez-trato-futbolista/1705193.html
Jib
Jun 25, 2017 at 7:02 AM
Comment #116NUFC are close to getting Benfica’s Andreas Samaris.
One setp away according to the Portuguese media
We are currently offering €15m – they are asking €20m
His €45m buy out clause seems to have gone out of the window
http://www.ojogo.pt/futebol/1a-liga/benfica/noticias/interior/samaris-esta-a-um-passo-do-newcastle-8588795.html
jackostoon
Jun 25, 2017 at 7:03 AM
Comment #117Jib,
Had a quick look at the article but the buggars in Spanish and can’t find a translate option, I’ll take your word that it’s complimentary towards wor Rafa kidda.
Jib
Jun 25, 2017 at 7:17 AM
Comment #118The Red and White shite may not be down in the Championship for as long as was thought..
There’s a German consortium interested in the club and they want to bring in David Wagner.
Jib
Jun 25, 2017 at 7:21 AM
Comment #119Jacko
He says that NUFC was a club in injury crisis when Rafa came.
That’s one of the reasons he stuck with us after relegation to finish what he had started with regard to training regime and ethic.
He sees as outside the top 6 – FOR NOW
Jib
Jun 25, 2017 at 7:42 AM
Comment #120Johnathan Bamba a young French midfielder on loan to Angers from Saint Etienne is being courted by AC Milan, Atalanta Bergamo, Newcastle, Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen .
Probably on a loan deal as Les Verts seem keen to keep him.
http://peuple-vert.fr/actualite/mercato-l-asse-propose-contrat-jusqu-2020-a-jonathan-bamba/