News coming in today that Fulham are nearing a decent bid for Newcastle’s Oba Martins.
Oba Martins – Fulham interested
The season before last, Fulham won 4 of their last 5 games to stay up in the Premier League on goal difference, and Roy Hodgson did a fantastic job for the London side last season, when they finished in 7th place after finishing the previous season in 17th place.
The Fulham side have secured themselves Europa League football next season.
One weakness Fulham do have, is that they scored just 39 goals last season, and that was the lowest of any team that finished in the top half of the table, so they are on the lookout for good strikers.
Oba Martins certainly fits the bill, and today’s reports suggest they are looking closley at the Nigerian International.
Oba, who is still just 24, and reports are saying that the Cottagers are to try their luck with an £8M bid. Newcastle would accept that bid very quickly since they paid £10M for the former Inter-Milan striker three years ago so £8M, in the fire sale Newcastle are in during the summer, would be a decent price.
However, as always, one barrier to Martins leaving Newcastle, is that the London side will be unlikely to match Oba’s current £65K/week wages he is getting on Tyneside.
But if Fulham do bid that £8M, watch Newcastle immediately accept that amount and allow Martins to speak with the Craven Cottage side. Oba has appeared 106 times for Newcastle (91 starts) and has scored 35 goals, over the last 3 seasons.
Former Newcastle Academy graduate Aaron Hughes, who played over 200 times for the Magpies, is playing well for the London side, since he moved there from Aston Villa in 2007. Aaron played 44 times last season for Fulham and formed a formidable central defensive partnership with Brede Hangeland.
He has played 74 times in total for Fulham, and 66 times for Northern Ireland, and has been captain of his country since 2003, and of course is married to a Geordie girl.
Comments welcome.
62 comments so far
Stuart79
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Comment #41Interesting to hea Mick Martin on Talksport this morning.
He said he’d heard that this arab had bought 60% of NUFC.
Can’t see it like, where’s the other 40% go?
ian
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Comment #42Stuart wouldnt surprise me either, in that case Oba will go as he hasnt got the brains to keep him, we will be dropping out of the championship too.
ian
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Comment #43Stauart cant see the arab thing either that means the arab has controlling share unless there is a further deal if they get promoted.
Big Dave
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Comment #44Stuart79 maybe the 40 % is our FFFS
hitman
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:27 PM
Comment #45http://www.arabianbusiness.com/559569-ahmed-acquires-60-of-leading-english-football-club
Big Dave
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Comment #46oh Batty meant to say i might not be picking FFS up later, he said it could be tomorrow and that he might just come in the helecopter straight to SJP lol
toonoholic
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:32 PM
Comment #47doesnt make sense, ashley owns 100 % stakes. why would he sell only 60?
MDS
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:32 PM
Comment #48Toon Graeme // Jun 23, 2009 at 4:13 PM
Well one thing is for sure we wont see it on Setanta news – its gone t*ts up and will stop uk broadcasting shortly!
————————————————————
Anyone from outside of England on here? This Setanta thing has me concerned. Championship games are shown on SetantaUS where I am so I thought I would be able to see at least some matches next year without trying to find a damn internet stream that works. Any word on who will provide TV coverage?
Tom Mo.
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:34 PM
Comment #49yeah, north carolina usa. i was hoping to find the same on setanta but I guess we are pretty much screwed now.
toonoholic
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:35 PM
Comment #50MDS / Tom( i am in boston) , i have streamed most of my matches through sopcast (true it usually shows setanta a lot) or seen through iraqgoals.
There is hope.
Tom Mo.
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:39 PM
Comment #51hahaha yeah hopefully Iraq goals will come through as usual. To all in England, honest question, will all our championship games even be televised in England or only some?
Nick 69
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Comment #52mds- i know that espn have bought all the premiership matches that setanta were supposed to show, dunno if they also purchased championship games aswell or not
toonsy
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Comment #53Only some wil be screened in England, but i’d imagine you could get hold of them somehow.
Re Setanta – ESPN have took over the package that Setanta had apart from the Scottish league which is rumoured to be going back to sky.
Re Martins – 8 mill? I’d take it personally although i would like to keep him. I, like many others, was under impression players (or assets now) cant be sold during a takeover. When due dilligance starts i thought a transfer embargo was put in place meaning players cant actually be sold, or bought for that matter. However i dont think it stops players talking to clubs or to us.
LoonyToony
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:46 PM
Comment #54WEWT.
Shane Ferguson has signed a new long term contract.
Get in
Turkish Magpie
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:52 PM
Comment #55toonoholic- because it’s not us, the clues are leading premier league!
It’ll be Liverpool Perhaps, or Portsmouth.
Nick 69
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Comment #56it wont be portsmouth cos al fahim is buying them, liverpool or everton maybe as they have been looking for investment for a while now
toonoholic
Jun 23, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Comment #57not portsmouth, they have been sold to a different arab already.
belfast toon
Jun 23, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Comment #58where yous gwletting this Thursday news
Mushroom army
magforlife
Jun 23, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Comment #59For info of USA toon fans, the championship matches are shown live, mostly saturday lunchtime and also 5.15pm and on lunch time sundays, some midweek games also, mostly by Sky but i saw that BBC have some live rights also.
Doocey
Jun 23, 2009 at 5:07 PM
Comment #60BBC will be broadcasting 10 live Championship games this season and how could they leave out the biggest club in the CCC – Newcastle?
We should get most of them alongside Boro and Brom’.
Apparently there’ll be a recap show like MOTD for Championship after teh Premier League MOTD 🙂
Dunno how through this is though 🙂
Widowmaker
Jun 23, 2009 at 8:06 PM
Comment #61Don’t want to lose Oba, and 8M for him is a joke, a big one. We brought him for 10M and he has proved himself in the EPL now with a good goal ratio over the years while playing in a very poor team.
Steve_48
Jun 23, 2009 at 8:39 PM
Comment #62Good price for a player who:
1. Often hits the corner flag
2. injured a lot
3. Often hist row Z
4. Runs with head down and cannot see the play
fold out in front of him
5. Often hits barn door