The Sun is reporting today that Liverpool are willing to let Daniel Sturridge leave the club next month.
The England striker needs first team games if he is to have any chance of making the England squad for the World Cup in Russia next summer.
The news is that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has told his striker he can leave in January.
The only way Newcastle could get Sturridge in is via a loan spell with an option to buy in the summer, but Liverpool are likely to want Newcastle to pay his wages which are reported to be a huge £125K/week.
Daniel Sturridge – available in January – sign him up
But before Mike Ashley dismisses the potential deal because of his excessive wages we have to look at the big picture.
If we are relegated again, we will lose way over £100M in Premier League payments, and that’s always assuming we can come straight back up like last season.
It’s much worse if a club stays down in the Championship for more than one season.
SkyBet has us as clear favorites to sign Sturridge at 11/8 with West Ham next in line at 10/1.
As an aside we are also favorites to sign Fernando Torres but at 6/1.
The problem with Daniel is that he picks up a lot of injuries so it’s not clear how many games he could play for the Magpies in the second half of the season.
It would be a risk.
But Daniel can also score goals – there’s no doubt about that – and maybe Rafa Benitez will try to take both Sturridge and Danny Ings from Liverpool in January?
It’s not the only weakness we have but we are woefully short in the striker position, and Rafa will need to bring at least two strikers in during January.
Rafa could try to sell both Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dwight Gayle (or get them out on loan and off the wage bill) if he can get other strikers through the door next month.
That’s the significant weakness at Newcastle in the first half of the season although we also need a full-back and playmaker brought in next month.
But having some strikers who can score goals would make a massive difference to our results – which is the general idea.
🙂
Certainly, Sturridge could be the hero for Newcastle if we can get him in, keep him fit and play to his undoubted goalscoring strengths.
Comments welcome.
363 comments so far
G
Dec 18, 2017 at 1:43 PM
Comment #1Always thought Sturridge was a player who looked better than he is. Definitely an upgrade on our current crop of strikers regardless.
Toondog2
Dec 18, 2017 at 1:46 PM
Comment #2Both Sturridge and Ings would be great acquisitions if they came.
Significantly up in quality.
The main concern is their fitness and injuries.
Here’s hoping
ashleysmate
Dec 18, 2017 at 1:46 PM
Comment #3When fit, Sturridge is a good player but also has good players around him, he won’t have that at the toon
lesh
Dec 18, 2017 at 1:51 PM
Comment #4£125k a week wages at Liverpool in an ECL spot when our average is what, £50k and facing relegation further confirms you get what you play for.
Another example of the failure of Ashley’s model.
lesh
Dec 18, 2017 at 1:52 PM
Comment #5* get what you pay for even
SPRINGY
Dec 18, 2017 at 1:55 PM
Comment #6Sturridge is crock,injured more then available…loan..aye good.. but not spending what little money we will have in jan,same can be said for Wilshire who’s name was mentioned earlier this loan, yes out right buy,no.
jayphoto
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:00 PM
Comment #7Not a fan of sturridge…but really you’d have him over what we’ve got currently…
Similarly I think Torres is past it, but again hes an upgrade on what we have…
Think sturridge has lived off a reputation slightly forged by playing alongside Suarez for 2 years profiting from the extra space he had because suarez took so much attention. Hes a 1 in 2 striker though and hes capable if motivated, already premier league ready etc
Jail for Ashley
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:02 PM
Comment #8Jay,
As you well know as I’ve said it more than once. That failure to invest after finishing fifth still boils my pi$$. Not the fact that it was a missed opportunity but the utter pointlessness of it. It was a very deliberate attempt to ensure we finished lower than we did the season before. What really added insult for me was the amount of folk justifying it by saying at least we didn’t sell anyone. That summer summed up the extent of ambition throughout his ten year reign.
AdamJ,
Not Johnston is it, look at the trouble that last mobile phone caused you 😮
lochinvar
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:04 PM
Comment #9Sturridge is the best name we’ve been linked with so far. He’ll come with a real fire to score goals and despite the doubters round about would on the blog get good service from Ritchie, Atsu, Murphy and Merino. The pace of our game would move up a gear and that would change our game management to use the current phraseology. In simple terms get him him, perhaps Ings and Cenk Tosan and say goodbye to Mitro and the other lanky guy whose name escapes me.
Jail for Ashley
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:04 PM
Comment #10Jay.
The fact that we spent in the January anyway made it worse, if we’d spent that in the summer we may well have had an enjoyable season despite Pardews football.
Frank pingles come sock
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:05 PM
Comment #11Lesh – moncur wouldn’t be a miss
Glorified tea boy
ShirebrookToon
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:05 PM
Comment #12Jail
😳 you can’t say that 😆
KevinHann
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:07 PM
Comment #13Sturridge wouldn’t be a bad call provided he isn’t the only striker we sign. If we only get one we shouldn’t be putting all the eggs in his basket though.
jayphoto
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:07 PM
Comment #14@Springy – not a fan of either, and agree they are crocks, but I think signing Sturridge and Wilshire would massively improve our starting 11… think both would generate some buzz around our fan base too. In an ideal world both have had reality checks and would want to get their careers back on track. Itd be exciting start to 2018 at least
ShirebrookToon
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:11 PM
Comment #15Sturridge has one good season, and that was when Suarez was at Liverpool
OneAlanShearer
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:13 PM
Comment #16Shire – I always liked sturridge but injuries have taken their toll.to be honest the more I think about it the more I’d get 2 strikers for certain possibly even 3 if some if them are injury prone. We could end up with sturridge or ings on the treatment table.
RUNAWAY777
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:14 PM
Comment #17Here we go again all these player starting to turn up and guess what where favourites to sign them where have we heard this before.
Toonfan8
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:15 PM
Comment #18Sturidge is good player, when he is injury free, but this is big question, if and how long he can stay fit. Batshuayi would be better choice I think, Wilshere and Shaw very good too. And Goalkeeper is must, strong commanding one. With these I would be confident we can stay up:
GK:Yedlin,Lascelles,Clark,Shaw-Wilshere,Merino-Ritchie,Perez,Atsu-Batshuayi….not a great team I would prefer new no.10 and minimum 1 goalscoring winger
SeanNufc87
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:17 PM
Comment #19Sturridge hasn’t scored double figures in the Prem since suarez left… In 2013. I really don’t think he’s the solution.
Toonces
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:18 PM
Comment #20Sturridge has quality – just not reliable re: injuries.
Regarding FFP, IIRC there are two systems:
1. FFP under UEFA which dictates maximum losses over a 3 year rolling window. Only impacts clubs playing in Europe i.e. Europa or Champions League.
2. FFP under the Football League/FA – mainly I think it is for the Championship. I’m not sure the rules but this is what QPR ran afoul of. Basically they can’t have teams risking bankruptcy with crazy spending trying to get promoted to the Prem.
JP...from The Rock
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:19 PM
Comment #21Beggars can’t be choosers lads!! I’d love it if we sign Sturridge and another striker like Cenk Tusan in case he gets injured. Wilshere is another player I would sign, skilful on the ball, bags of experience and likes to beat a man.
OneAlanShearer
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:21 PM
Comment #22I’d like to think Rafa has players lined up to come in straight away as soon as the window opens in January
jayphoto
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:23 PM
Comment #23be surprising if Liverpool let both sturridge and Ings go…if its just for 6 months on loan I think id prefer sturridge but if its to sign completely then Ings is exactly the kind of player we should be looking at over long term.. I think the bookies odds on Sturridge are guesswork.. wouldn’t surprise me to see him go somewhere random.. if arsenal cash in on Giroud (rumoured to everton) he’d make a good addition to their squad, as he would to someone like west brom
JP...from The Rock
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:23 PM
Comment #24Batshuayi would be an excellent signing, out of our league I think.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:26 PM
Comment #25Monaco rumoured to be going for Batshauyi I wouldn’t mind us going back in for Jovetic ! Rafa wanted him in the summer but we wouldn’t pay the wages ! Hes not really getting game time for them so potentially could move!
Get him for no 10/striker , Sturridge on loan and possibly see about Walcott on loan
Then we just need a defensive midfielder , Keeper and a left back…..
Jeezo we need some serious money to be spent
Danny B
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:26 PM
Comment #26We’ve needed a commanding goalkeeper for seasons. Would have gone for Adrian had he not replaced Hart. Joe looked shaky long before he was dropped.
Sturridge is likely to be injured before too long. Wiltshire would be a good loan signing hes playing well now for a while and we need more creative players.
Danny B
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:29 PM
Comment #27JP
Chelsea paid £23 million but he’s got goals in him as Watford found out.
Danny B
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:33 PM
Comment #28Arsenal fans want rid of Walcott which is never a good sign. Though Wenger seems to want to hold onto him because Lacazette is taking time to function. He seems to be subbed after 70 minutes in every home game.
JP...from The Rock
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:33 PM
Comment #29Danny B- That’s before the crazy money going for players these days (Sigurdsson). Apart from the money we have to be appealing for players and right now even Huddersfield look like a better choice sadly.
Ron Knee
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:35 PM
Comment #30OAS@22
Yes, in an ideal world, but this is NUFC!
Tsunki
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:38 PM
Comment #31Denial Porridge? Nah. We don’t have the quality to prop him up. We need something more robust. No idea who.
Not related, but nobody has said Bas Dost in a while 🙂
Dagwoodz
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:43 PM
Comment #32@Tsunki #31
Might have something to do with that purportedly huge buy-out clause in his contract… Agreed he would be a good signing, but won’t happen under tubby’s reign, even if he’s on the way out.
Danny B
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:44 PM
Comment #33Sturridge would not be for me. We want someone for more than a few cameo shows. We were strongly linked with Dennis Praet but he would likely take time to settle in pl. Though as someone pointed out earlier Cisse didn’t.
Jib
Dec 18, 2017 at 2:59 PM
Comment #34Bas Dost record for Sporting Lisbon
in the Primeira Liga so far
45 games 46 goals
c-dog
Dec 18, 2017 at 3:05 PM
Comment #35Well worth a gamble. But with service from Shelvey Perez Ritchie Atsu Murphy Merino etc he’ll be starved. Need a holding player and 10 as well.
c-dog
Dec 18, 2017 at 3:06 PM
Comment #36On Dost, I was against that signing when we were linked as I thought pace was essential in our league. As jibs stats point out, I was probably way off the mark.
SPRINGY
Dec 18, 2017 at 3:07 PM
Comment #37Jayphoto
Not knockin the talents of the lads… sturridges goal scoring record is canny and wilshire is a talented player just dont think we would get more then a few games b4 they are laid up thats all…hope im wrong if we were to sign them(doubtful)…just think there injury history is scary….sky said the other day wilshire has started just 81 games in 9 years…. that’s pretty poor.
jayphoto
Dec 18, 2017 at 3:13 PM
Comment #38@springy – neither would be my choices tbh, ashleys just got us in a situation where id jump at the sight of any ability or quality atm
hibbit
Dec 18, 2017 at 3:14 PM
Comment #39SPRINGY
wilshire injury record combined with ours, i dread to think of the consequences
lochinvar
Dec 18, 2017 at 3:21 PM
Comment #40Novocastrian66
Dec 18, 2017 at 10:57 AM
Comment #67
Expat. As you’re an expat, If you were an expostman that that would make you an expostmanexpat. I think.
Novo@67
Don’t you think that if Expat is a expostman called Pat that he should be
ExPostmanPatwithhisBlackandWhiteStripedExPatcat