The Chronicle are reporting Newcastle have been told by Nice to pay the full price of €30M for Alassane Plea or risk another club coming in and buying him.
In that case, we suppose another club could come in and buy him – if they think an untried Ligue 1 striker, however much potential he has, is worth €30M – which is about £26.3M.
The Times reported today that Newcastle’s first bid for Plea was £15M and was turned down and the news is that Newcastle will go back with an improved offer soon.
Other clubs interested in Plea include Tottenham, West Ham, Borussia Monchengladbach, Monaco and Wolfsburg.
28-year-old West Brom striker Salomon Rondon
One ploy Newcastle can take is to go back to see if they can get a decent deal with West Brom for their 28-year-old striker Salomon Rondon.
Maybe for £16.5M (the relegation release clause in his contract) plus other fees, Newcastle could still get a better financial deal for Rondon than for Plea.
And yes, it should be a lot less than £26M.
The Chronicle is reporting the player’s agent has again been talking to Newcastle about the Venezuelan striker’s future.
Rondon is not a prolific goalscorer, and in three seasons in the Premier League with the Baggies, he scored 28 goals in 119 appearances.
Rafa sees something in the striker, and Rondon could well do a decent job for us on Tyneside, and he is more than an adequate target center-forward.
But he doesn’t score a lot of goals.
He’s played 60 times for Venezuela with 19 goals,
Rondon could be a good signing for us, but we need another striker brought in too – maybe Danny Ings from Liverpool?
Or Rafa may see Dwight Gayle benefitting from having a big striker up front to knock balls down for him.
We have an inkling that Rafa thinks Dwight can still score goals in the Premier League and he certainly seems to want to keep him at the club for next season.
What should help Newcastle in their search for a striker is the club are willing to pay the fee up front in cash for the right target.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
107 comments so far
Belfast
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:32 PM
Comment #41Yep Harrumph!
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:32 PM
Comment #42We want Salmon Roundup! Bring him in Chutney!!!
Mag :P
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:33 PM
Comment #43Can’t wait to get my prediction wrong again for next season. Hopefully I’ll be active when Martoon sets it all up.
I’m hoping it will be an easier picture to paint once the window shuts because right now it’s impossible to tell.
Bobbybee
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:33 PM
Comment #44Belfast 🙂
TomaKaThor
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:34 PM
Comment #45From what I have seen of Plea he doesn’t look anything but average, I don’t want 20 plus million spent on this guy… Good thing Newcastle never would spend that much
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:36 PM
Comment #46I think we are definitely going to sign one of the great middle aged, overweight strikers who didn’t score 8 goals last season!!! Huzzah!!!
Reilly
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:37 PM
Comment #47So sad to hear the news ed stay strong my friend.
G
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:37 PM
Comment #48@45 agreed. We might aswell take Rivierre back.
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:37 PM
Comment #49You are absolutely right akaThor. That’s why we must sign Salmon Roundup!
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:40 PM
Comment #50If we can get both Rivi and Xisco back I would agree with that thinking. Harrumph!
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:42 PM
Comment #51Would Chutney really go after Salmon RoundOne? I just can’t believe we could afford such and obvious upgrade… Staggering…
Belfast
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:42 PM
Comment #52I don’t know how he came to that conclusion to be honest. It must be the sleeping pills. It was one of the most scrapiest awful games I’ve ever seen mind. They done everything in their power to make it that way though. I expect the Sweden game to be pretty f***** awful as well.
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:43 PM
Comment #53Imagine us having 2 seven goal forwards in the same lineup. No, it’s just too good to be true….
Bobbybee
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:43 PM
Comment #54The quarter finals are looking tasty now. No more easy games for anyone. Belgium v Brazil is the pick of the round imo. I just hope Brazil play football and refrain from the cheating antics they’ve displayed thus far. If they do it could be an all time classic.
After the first round game between Spain and Portugal, which was brilliant, who could’ve guessed neither would be in it at this stage?
I honestly think that if we don’t win it this year, with so many big teams already out, we may never get a better chance. Sweden are no pushover though. Could be like a PL game really.
Any one of the teams left in it will fancy their chances. Exciting times for football fans of all the nations involved. Come on you whites (or reds obviously) 🙂
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:44 PM
Comment #55But think of the potential NUFC signings on display in that match Belfast. Probably 7 or 8 of them at least!
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:49 PM
Comment #56I like that Kane fella. What kind of bid would Chutney have to make do you think? I’m imagining something a bit bigger than the Rondon thingy.
Bobbybee
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:50 PM
Comment #57Belfast, what makes you think that mate? The Columbia game was ruined by their antics, but I think Sweden will play football and the best team should come out on top. Can’t see them stooping to the dark arts and England won’t, so at least we’ll get a game of football.
You might be right insomuch that they might cancel each other out to an extent, I actually envisage a decent game. Then again, I fancied a Belgium v Spain final! 🙂
Jail for Ashley
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:55 PM
Comment #58I can’t see Ed’s news as I’m using my phone at the moment, I hope he’s ok?
beefman13
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:56 PM
Comment #59We buy when we sell, surely we know that, no one gone yet.
Bobbybee
Jul 4, 2018 at 9:57 PM
Comment #60Jail, you can switch to desktop mate. I use it on my phone all the time.
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:03 PM
Comment #61This just in from beermonkey “nobody bothered voting for Northeast Prem League Managing Director of the Year once the found out who was in the running.” Very disturbing…
Jib
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:03 PM
Comment #62Gonzalo Higuain to Chelsea for €60M !
He’s 31 in December !
Dragon64
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:03 PM
Comment #63just been reading your story Ed keep fighting. nice to put a picture to the man himself.
Bobbybee
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:06 PM
Comment #64Jib, more money than sense. Hard to compete with that sort of madness. 🙂
Spoof
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:06 PM
Comment #65Bobbybee @34
You obviously care, because if you didn’t you wouldn’t have sent that post ??
On a serious note though, I find it very sad that one of the sports all time greats is now a laughing stock, his actions when Argentina managed to get through the group stage was appalling and from a compatriots point of view2it must have been embarrassing, glad I’m English, not British, strictly English when it comes to football.
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:06 PM
Comment #66Can we sell soon then? I’m getting very anxious that all the top, top strikers like Rondon will be gone before we sell… Nightmare vision of a future without Rondon….
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:08 PM
Comment #67What’s happening with Ed then? Now you lot have me worried.
Bambams
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:09 PM
Comment #68Aye Ed if you are reading our comments we are all supporting you. It was a nice to see the photos of a ‘Walker Lad’ when you were younger.
Keep up the fight mate.
Respect
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:11 PM
Comment #69A lot of you are saying “G2 we don’t deserve a player like Rondon. He’s too good for us and we don’t have any money.” That’s very defeatist thinking lads. When has Ashley ever let us down?
GeordieTwo
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:17 PM
Comment #70Thank you for everything Ed. A wonderful blog run by a true gentleman.
Bobbybee
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:18 PM
Comment #71Spoof, couldn’t care less mate, just thought I’d share the fun around. Clowns are for laughing at after all. 🙂 An Argentine wearing a Columbia shirt, just because it’s England? Priceless entertainment. He hates us so much you’d think he would be guaranteed a job with FIFA. 🙂
Jail for Ashley
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:19 PM
Comment #72Bobby,
I tried that but it stays the same with smaller print.
On the game last night, Do you know if the Columbian players who received bookings last night had previous yellows, or was that a deliberate ploy by the non booked players to unsettle us and try and goad a sending off?
Munster Mag
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:21 PM
Comment #73Tsunki, good post re Ed, really good. I didn’t know you had lost a kidney? Respect toon brother (as opposed to toonbrother, the colo ranter!)
Munster Mag
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:24 PM
Comment #74I’d take rondon at 16m. He will allow us to develop our counter attack with his power and pace. I reckon we can get 12+ goals season out of him and he has been tested in England. 16mill won’t buy much in the line of strikers and we would save 4mill on mitro and get a more rounded player.
Tsunki
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:29 PM
Comment #75Maradona was once a very talented football player, uniquely so as one of the best to play football in the opinion of many.
But it doesn’t excuse the horrendous individual that possessed that talent. He’s always been a substance abusing, embarrassing parody of himself, a pathetic advert for the stereotype of the Latin Spanish bandit snarling “feelthy Eenglish peeeeg!” at every sighting of anyone who isn’t a Stereotypical Latin Spanish Bandit.
And attributing that handball to divine favour was always the zenith of his integrity.
Tsunki
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:30 PM
Comment #76My dyer I’m forever grateful you spelled out the distinction in “brothers of the Toon” as that would surely have been another lovely multiple row brewing 😀
Tsunki
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:32 PM
Comment #77My dyer = Munster. Pah!
Bobbybee
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:33 PM
Comment #78Jail, I think they just lost control mate. The lack of discipline in S America football is astounding. Even Brazil, who don’t need to cheat have been at it. Neymar, one of the most skillful players in the world is a disgrace.
You have to put some blame on the ref though, because a head but is a red card – end of argument. Violent conduct leaves no room for discussion, it’s a straight red in any game. That said, Henderson could’ve got the same for his sneaky use of the head – we’ve seen players, sent off for less. Stronger officials are needed for these last few games for sure.
Bobbybee
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:37 PM
Comment #79Strange with your phone jail. I’ve always used the desktop option on my phone because the mobile one does, my head in! 🙂 Press the desk top option then refresh. That worked for me earlier.
Spoof
Jul 4, 2018 at 10:39 PM
Comment #80Maradona
What an enigma, arguably the most gifted footballer that there has ever been, best ever would probably go to Pele and understandably so as he was a great player and a superb ambassador for the game, and a great ambassador is certainly not what Maradona has been, but purely as a player has there been a better one than Maradona !!!!!!!