If the news is to be believed, then Newcastle have had two transfer targets at Lyon all summer – 23 year-old striker Alexandre Lacazette and 23 year-old central midfielder Clement Grenier, and the Tyneside club have been alerted to what Clement has said in the French press today – essentially that he wants to Leave Lyon this summer.
Clement Grenier – wants to leave Lyon
That’s almost the polar opposite of what Alexandre has said this week – that he wants to stay at Lyon for next season, and maybe next summer Newcastle will renew their interest in the promising young French striker.
We’ve always thought that Grenier would be almost the perfect replacement for the departed Yohan Cabaye, and he is certainly a better player than Yohan was at 23 – and Clement made the 23 man squad for the World Cup before a groin injury forced him out.
He’s played for every one of the French youth sides from U16 through U21, and 5 times for the full French side.
This is what Clement has said in France Football:
“I asked at the end of the season, even before we knew the future of the coach, Remi Garde, if it were possible to go to another club to play with more continuity, but I did not say I want to go away at all costs,”
“I simply think that it can be the right time to try a new experience.”
Maybe Clement doesn’t say straight out that he wants to leave Lyon, but that’s a very decent hint that if a good club (like Newcastle?) comes in for him, he would like to take the opportunity this summer.
Newcastle were after Remy Cabella and Clement Grenier in January, after Cabaye was sold to PSG, and we have managed to get Clement on Tyneside for a very decent fee of around £8M.
Arsenal and Southampton are both said to be interested in Grenier, and maybe the Saints will bid (very) high for the Frenchman, after agreeing to pay out £10M for former Newcastle goalkeeper Fraser Forster, and £12M for Hull City striker Shane Long – two British players who are ridiculously over-priced.
But the Saints would not particularly be a draw for Clement – but Arsenal would be.
It’s not clear if Arsenal are really interested in Clement Grenier – so there could be a chance in the final 18 days of this transfer window for Newcastle to pull of a coup and get Grenier To Tyneside.
The skillful central midfielder has been at Lyon since he was 11 years old, and he has played 116 times for the French club, with 15 goals and 23 assists.
Clement Grenier would be a stellar signing for Newcastle United.
What do you think?
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24 comments so far
catchy in norway
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:05 AM
Comment #1does it really matter how much a player is signed for ?
his value depends on so many things nowadays.
how long he has left on his contract
is the club in trouble
clauses
chairmen setting un realistic values
what experience he has in various competitions
which country he comes from.
how much the new club really wants him, (liverpool paid 35 milliion for a 5 million pound player)
the most important thing for me is the manager, he has to get the best out of any new player, the manager gets the value out of the player. paying 10 million for a striker and watching him score a goal a game just about made him look bargin, but then playing him as a winger with no assists or goals for half a season made him look very expensive waste of money
then put him back up front with no service is also a waste.
its just a shame all our signings will go the same way as Cisse, turn out flops under pardew, as it wont be long until they get sucked into his way of playing
Markaccus
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:07 AM
Comment #2From last
Debuchey was a good player for us. I have no doubt he will br a good player for Arsenal. Arsenal ptobably have got better training facilities that a lot of clubs. They are one of the biggest clubs in the world. Debs isnt having a go at us, he is just being nice and honest about his new club, and i don’t blame him. NUFC have so much catching up to do regarding our set up, we all know that. Janmaat looks a cracking replacement. We have 18 months to identify HIS replacement.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:07 AM
Comment #3Re-post:
Rainrix…and we seem to be telling the players we buy that we will challenge the top 4 and then when we have finished recruiting the coach changes his statement and says we need a minimum of 48 points.
…no wonder players whats to leave as quickly as possible – the irony is when the club does everything (with any means possible) to flock a player and he doesn’t want to leave lol
*This club does put a smirk on my face, sadly just not for the right reasons!
Our Toon
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:09 AM
Comment #4He’s made the right move no doubt about it, imagine the lies that are peddled to players to get them here and when they turn up they find out we have no ambition at all and only want premiership mediocrity. SDJ, Cabella etc have come out and talked about CL as did the manager….on the eve of the season when all signings are complete and the tickets are sold to the masses who keep falling for the same tricks the silver tongued liar manages expectations by aiming for 1 point less than last year.
Markaccus
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:09 AM
Comment #5Still dont see us getting grenier.
Toon-Prodigy
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:15 AM
Comment #6Nufc on alert thinking who they can sell first!
Markaccus
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:16 AM
Comment #7What must those meetings between ashley and pardew be like….
Ma “Tell the players and the fans about how we want a CL push”
Ap “yes bowss”
Ma “no mention 48 points and male sure you subtly imply it as a minimum target, mumble a biy about wanting higher but dont mention CL again”
Ap “OK Bowss, would ya like me to big up the new players too?”
Ma “yes, excessively before they are proven”
Pa “shuu thing bowss, the fans believe everything i say, we are doing the right things at this club”
Rainrix
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:17 AM
Comment #8Jesper… Tragic isn’t it? Having to lie to get players in. Pretty sure every player we’ve signed has mentioned champions league. Good thing none of them have bothered to read LC’s statement when he replaced JK, then we would be in trouble 🙂
Markaccus
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:21 AM
Comment #9Finally in public
Ap ” Trast me, fings are ‘aard in this league. Fow’ey ayt points is the average, ‘an we will fo fcakin well to acheive it. Alittlebithigherwouldbenicebutmidtableisagoodseasonforus” end of interview. Terms and conditions apply 😀
Lilongwe Geordie
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:21 AM
Comment #10It depends on what we say to the players. If we promise them Champions League football within a couple of years, then it is fair to say we didn’t lie to Debuchy – we have delivered him exactly that. Maybe we have the same plan for SDJ and Cabella.
Jeff from Benwell
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:22 AM
Comment #11Markaccus
Colney was built in 1999 from Anelkas £22 million fee to Real Madrid
It was built under the personal supervision f Wenger from his experience in Japan and is state of the art
It is used by England when they play at Wembley.
The locals hate it because to get planning permission Arsenal pledged to help the local community sports wise which they haven’t done.
The FA are annoyed about it because although it’s so massive it is hardly used for youth development.
Debuchy probably likes it because it has a massive telly in the players lounge permanently tuned to Canal+ France
Klatoon
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:29 AM
Comment #12i doubt the state of a club’s training facilities plays any part in a potential signing’s decision to join. Its all in the wage packet,agent’s cut and glitzy shopping spots for the WAG.
martoon
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:29 AM
Comment #13Morning Markaccus are you back at work yet or still spending your winnings? 🙂
Guys any chance we could talk about something else today? As we seem to have discussed this 48 points thing to death.
I would be very surprised if we went after Grenier in this window unless we sell Tiote or similar.
Markaccus
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:31 AM
Comment #14Jeff
And a ps4 with the lastest versions of Fifa and PES!
Markaccus
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:32 AM
Comment #15Martoon
Morning. No i am off for the rest of this week and next. Today the little one will be going for a chinese with dad and gran and grandad.
Mickalonius
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:35 AM
Comment #16Catchy you do talk crap. ” its just a shame all our signings will go the same way as Cisse, turn out flops under pardew, as it wont be long until they get sucked into his way of playing”. What about Cabaye ? Remy ? Ba ? Tiote ? Debuchy ? Krul ? Colo? Carroll Well ?
Alan Shearer the legend
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:37 AM
Comment #17We must get him!
Jeff from Benwell
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:38 AM
Comment #18From the interviews I’ve read with Grenier he comes across as a bit of a prima donna a tad precious . He strikes me as being too high maintenance for Pardew’s liking , who has proven not too good at stroking egos.
deeps
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:40 AM
Comment #19Arsene Wenger is apparently weighing up a shock move for free agent Stephane Mbia.
The 28-year-old is without a club after leaving QPR at the end of last season and is now free to talk to new employers.
And the Daily Star suggest that the Gunners are keen on him with a blockbuster move for Sami Khedira less and less likely.
So if arsenal are after mbia then don’t think that they will be after tiote
Jeff from Benwell
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:41 AM
Comment #20Mickalonius@16
Catchy just repeats the Anti Pardew mantra ad nauseum he hasn’t got an original thought in his bonce.
Rotonda heights
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:43 AM
Comment #21I wonder what the combined cost of Cisse, Ben Arfa and Tiote would have been a couple of years back.
I think if anything finally rightly gets pardew the sack it’s the ability to turn highly valued commodities into assets worth a fraction of their original estimation.
lochinvar
Aug 14, 2014 at 10:16 AM
Comment #2248 points – this is just P45dues way of “managing expectations: – a bit like a carrier saying he will deliver your parcel within a week and then it turns up in 3 days so you think – brilliant, well pleased with that ! He knows that less than 48 points is goodnight Vienna for him but then having made the statement of 48 points that anything above that should be well received. Thats the idea but it’s flawed. Play to win is the only option, ambition is everything in sport – imagine if Bradley Wiggins stated he would be pleased to finish in the top ten of the Tour De France – no way. Lets play to win please.
Blofal
Aug 14, 2014 at 11:19 AM
Comment #23Getting towards the end of the window. Lyon are holding out for a high price when it comes to Grenier.
This smacks of the player speaking out to put pressure on Lyon to do a deal.
Burgeriano
Aug 14, 2014 at 6:28 PM
Comment #24Hey,
Well #nufc need to move now cause Southampton have cash to burn & are desperate at this stage to rebuild their squad.
I think Forester is a GK on the rise and Newcastle should never have let him leave.
But my biggest grip with this report is Shane Long is not British! he was Born and raised in Tipperary, Ireland.