The next shoe may have fallen in Newcastle’s bid to sign 26 year-old Tunisian International Aymen Abdennour, and this week there have been various reports that Newcastle are keen to sign the center-back.
The Tunisian is reported to be our number one transfer target after we completed the signing of midfielder Florian Thauvin from Marseille a couple of days ago.
Aymen Abdennour – wants to leave Monaco
There is a report today in France’s Le Parisien that a number of Monaco players will have to be sold before the end of the transfer window, and that’s coupled with the news that Abdennour is keen to join another club.
The report cites sources close to Abdennour that he wants a new challenge and is simply waiting for the right club to come along with a suitable bid so he can leave the Principality.
But the complication could be the fee Monaco want for their top center-back with €30M being quoted – which is around £21M.
Needless to say Newcastle are balking at that much for the Tunisian who only joined Monaco last summer from Toulouse, after spending the second half of last season at Monaco.
There are some top clubs in addition to Newcastle after the 26 year-old including AC Milan, Roma, Inter Milan and Napoli and most of them can provide Champions League football which he has said he wants at his new club.
His agent has said he prefers the Italian League, but earlier in the summer he talked about how great it would be to play in the Premier league – the biggest and most popular league in all of sports.
Newcastle may have to break their transfer fee record of £17M we paid Real Madrid for Michael Owen in August, 2005 to get this player – but given the (big) gap he would fill in the Newcastle side – he could be worth it.
It will be a help to Newcastle that Abdennour has now made it clear he wants to leave Monaco.
There were reports yesterday that the deal may be dependent on Mike Williamson leaving the club – and a loan deal or permanent deal for Williamson should not be too difficult to complete for Newcastle with the experience Mike has.
But since we could get only at most £2M for Mike, we’d be very surprised if Newcastle would not sign Abdennour because of that.
If we cannot unload Williamson before September, we may have to keep him on the wage bill until January, when he can then talk to other clubs, since his contract runs out next summer.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
48 comments so far
pawl250
Aug 21, 2015 at 1:56 PM
Comment #1Although Abeid would add depth to our team, he is probably (and rightly) about 6th choice after Colback, Tiote, Sissoko, Wijnaldum, Anita.
I do not think he is better than any of those players despite the rave people give him on here. He is a very average player which is why he has never really broken through into a first team position.
Still cannot understand the Thauvin transfer.
We need players in our squad to provide competition in places. Surely keeping Cabella, a player the club spent 12m on last year, and then buying Thauvin would have made sense to have both competing for starting/bench places.
Instead we spend a futher 12m and send Cabella out the club for I assume nothing until next year when we may get a fee, most likley a very watered down one.
Just do not understand.
We still need a right back and a centre back.
Team for Man Utd
———————— Krul
Mbemba – STaylor – Coloccini – Haidara
Sissoko – Wijnaldum – Colback – Aarons
—————– Cisse – Mitrovic
Bench
Darlow, Dummett, Anita, Obertan, Thauvin, De Jong, Perez
will die for the toon army
Aug 21, 2015 at 1:56 PM
Comment #2http: //www . telegraph. co .uk /sport /football /teams /queens – park – rangers /11815986 /Everything –
you – need – to- know – about – Charlie – Austin . html
If we have really offered 10 m for Austin . That isnt bad money for a 26 yr old with a bad injury
record with a year left on his contract and with one year of EPL experience .
QPR shld take that .
pawl250
Aug 21, 2015 at 1:58 PM
Comment #3Abdennour is overrated.
Hype on this blog is unbeliveable for a very average player.
That said if he replaces Williamson its an improvement so am game. Yet for me he is not better than Colo or Mbemba.
Do not understand the fee they want for him. Its way over the top.
Ibizatoon
Aug 21, 2015 at 1:58 PM
Comment #4Ian…Can I ask what you aim to achieve with these poster critiques of yours?
Is it part of letting Ed deal with it and moving on, or are you hoping people may see the light?
It seems off to play the victim and make calls to “move on” and then persist with these constant criticisms. If you don’t mind my saying.
Yours
TPFOI (The popular front of Ibiza).
will die for the toon army
Aug 21, 2015 at 1:59 PM
Comment #5Pawl 250.
Same reason you gave for Abeid is the same reason for Cabella.
1. Winger – He was never a winger and with Sissoko, Perez and Aarons are better than him. Obertan has the physic and way stronger than him.
pawl250
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:00 PM
Comment #639 appearances in 3 seasons …… that is all. Just STaylor MK-II
will die for the toon army
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:00 PM
Comment #7Pawl 250
Abdennour is a beast and we lack one in our defence. You cant compare him to wat we have.
Magpie Myles
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:01 PM
Comment #8If we can get rid of Williamson, obertan and gouffran then i think it would be great to get this lad in, but it all depends on what we have left in the kitty. I would happily sway some fringe players for one commanding centre back.
pawl250
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:02 PM
Comment #9Will Die
Cabella would argubaly be 4th choice in our team for a wing positon, aswell as having the ability to play in any of the three 3 CAM roles behind a lone striker.
Also Abdennour is not fit long enough to be called a beast. He is an average player because he only plays a half a season, if you are lucky!
Magpie Myles
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:03 PM
Comment #10Why are we also not going for Ron Vlaar? He is a free agent and could do a cracking job for us!
Ibizatoon
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:03 PM
Comment #11Myles…Can I ask why it’d only be great if we get rid of those players?
Finances?
MikkyD
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:05 PM
Comment #12Sooner have Dunk to be honest 6’4 tough at the back and scores goals from set pieces and for 5 million
Rotonda heights
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:07 PM
Comment #13One day Ed will spell signing correctly!!
Another sensationalist headline when the reality seems to be the player prefers italy and monaco want 30M euros!!!
Matip, Dunk, Van Dijk, kongolo all still available. I would love abdennour but am put off a bit by all his injuries.
Magpie Myles
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:07 PM
Comment #14Ibiza
I understand we don’t have the largest squad on the planet, but our fringe players are no step up from some of the U21 lads, so i would rather have the extra bit of cash and wages for a new first team player that would improve the squad overall.
Magpie Myles
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:08 PM
Comment #15Rotonda
Van Dijk would be a cracking buy as well, if we could get him for 8 million, that would be a great buy.
Rotonda heights
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:08 PM
Comment #16abdennour is a much better player than saylor when he is fit though.
sing in the corner
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:11 PM
Comment #17Still can’t work out why we extended the deteriorating non-captaining-captain Colo if we’re really going to sign another established CB..? Can anyone enlighten me? What has he got that we haven’t seen for the last year? Something to blackmail Ashley or Charnley with?
pawl250
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:11 PM
Comment #18Will Die
Taken into account Rodwell for City who rarely played a game last season was 14m for Mackems, or a more recent comparison 12m+ for Rhodes in contention to Boro…..
Austin, a player who scored 18 goals in PL. He may have 1 year on his contract but how much is he actually worth to QPR if he scores 20 goals this season and lands them in a promotion slot, or a playoff positon. PL money is much more than 15m, and if he had more years on his contract he would arguably be worth 20m+.
Lets get real about injuries, he has only had 1 serious injury in his past in 2011 when he missed about 10 games for Burnley. I mean FFS stop reading the trash in the media or listen to the rumors. Even Austin has came out and said its not true.
He has just turned 26, so has his best years ahead of him and he is English, which right or wrong it adds value to the player as he becomes a homegrown addition. He would also be our best striker hands down if he came here, I would love to see him in the number 9 shirt over Cisse.
DaraghL
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:14 PM
Comment #19Mapgie Myles –
Vlaar is injured. Probably won’t play again until 2016.
JAMSHA
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:14 PM
Comment #20For That Money We could Have Buyd Alessio Romagnoli
pawl250
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:14 PM
Comment #21Rotanda
For the money involved 12m-15m I much rather go sign a defender that is better than both Colo and STaylor and can stay fit.
Woodgate was a great defender but he is not a great player when he is sitting on the bench or stands for the majority of the season.
Prime example:- Owen. He was same amount in regards to price brought in and he to this day is hounded for his injuries whilst at the club.Yet in the 79 games he played for our club he scored 30 goals, in a very very poor Newcastle squad.Great striker, but hardly worth it when you consider what he cost and how much game time he actually played.
Mister Tuff
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:15 PM
Comment #22I think it is a bit disingenous that attempts are made to in effect to re-write history in an attempt to justify a particular personal stance or belief – which was subsequently proven not to be true or accurate.
Whether it really matters on a football blog is another question.
However, when what is later written, is diverse from what was previously written/believed it is usually spotted on the blog pretty quick.
Better to say I would have thought to say – “Sh*t I got that wrong” .
Ian Toon
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:16 PM
Comment #23Ibiza- Explain yourself please!
Are you referring to anything in particular.
From the intervention of a few bloggers this is becoming a self regulating blog. Nothing to do with me just an outcry against various forms of bullying.
Derek
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:17 PM
Comment #24sing in the corner,
I think I’ve figured it out. Colo must be the one who brings the tea and biscuits to Ashley and Chanley behind the scenes. All along there has been no tea lady, its just Colo
Magpie Myles
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:18 PM
Comment #25DaraghL
Ah, i didn’t realise, well maybe a cheeky bid in January if nees be. Would really like to see Colo moved up to DM and buy a new centre back that has a bigger presence than Colo.
Ashleys Purse Padlock
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:21 PM
Comment #26Vlaar is crocked, knee injury from memory
Van Dijk is a risk, has played in a poor league, then played in a poor team in European league standards
Dunk is again a risk, but is young enough to benefit from decent coaching and improve to be a steady (if unspectacular) prem defender
Never seen this lad from Monaco play, but a month ago his agent was linking him with Barca now he’s not even looking for a club playing Champions League?? Sounds suspicious like they are trying to up the fee and entice the boys with bigger wallets
Barring the Monaco def agent, not sure we have had any concrete interest in any of the above this window, not to say it wont happen, just more likely someone no-ones heard of will arrive
sing in the corner
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:23 PM
Comment #27Derek
Serving it to their missus’ more like!
VanBasten
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:24 PM
Comment #28@1 “Still cannot understand the Thauvin transfer.”
I agree that keeping Cabella too would have made more sense. But I think Cabella was a crucial piece in making this deal happen with Marseille. Thauvin will add much more needed balance to our squad. Cabella’s best role is playing as AM (number 10 role) but I think he lacks some important attributes like strength, vision, possession & passing to be really good number 10. The likes of De Jong and Wijnaldum are definitely head of him for that role.
Overall I think this deal was very important for the balance of the squad and to fill some voids it had which Cabella could not.
will die for the toon army
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:24 PM
Comment #29Pawn 250
the same reason you are giving for Abdennour is the same stuff for Austin. Its a risky business we are in but: right valuation for both players is;
Austin – 10m
Abdennour – 15m.
Ashleys Purse Padlock
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:24 PM
Comment #30Oh and to be fair, 50% of defending is being organised, regardless of the calibre of player. While Colo’s legs seem to have been amputated as long as he can unzip his mouth and start organising the defence, I’d have him in the starting 11 til we sign someone in the same mould but younger
Ibizatoon
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:25 PM
Comment #31Miles…Fair enough. From what we understand though, we have finances available, so I’d be happy to see a decent player signed, as well as attempts to move on the deadwood.
Hey, if it comes to it, we could just have some unregistered players!?! 🙂
Ian…
Ian…As you will be aware, there is some history surrounding you on this blog. Many times you have claimed it to be made up, which you say Ed has confirmed.
At the end of it, you always say you don’t want to get involved and wish people would just move on.
Yet, you then seem unable to stop giving these blog critiques of blog posters. I’ve had one, Tsunki, Belfast, even Jib recently.
My question is why you do them? What is it you expect to happen? Surely you aappreciate it’s hard for people not to move on, when you mention them?
I just find it amazing you come on here, preaching that people should be focused on Newcastle, yet you persist with the personal.
You’re not alone, but for someone who claims to be emotionally and intellectually advanced (perhaps not a direct quote there), should you not be leading by example?
Ibizatoon
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:27 PM
Comment #32Ian…Am I to understand that you’re merely trying to create some blog balance then?
From what I can tell, with the odd exception of course, Ed generally does leave it to be self regulating.
Perhaps you could be more specific?
Ian Toon
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:30 PM
Comment #331) Did you see Jimmy Smith’s post yesterday?
2) has your post come about as a result of private e mails?
This blog is self regulating as far as I am concerned.
Ibizatoon
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:32 PM
Comment #34Ian…
1) Yes. Care to elaborate?
2) No. Care to elaborate?
Mag52
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:38 PM
Comment #35Rotonda.
The conversation I was having was with Laurent Robert who brought up the subject. I fully intend to post on whatever subject I like. My posts will all be NUFC related and if you don’t like them, don’t read them.
Bearing in mind there are references, from time to time, to Hoots, KK, SBR, Pardew’s time as manager is more recent and I’m afraid he is likely to get a mention quite a bit over the next few seasons.
Get over it or skip over it.
Ian Toon
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:42 PM
Comment #36There is no blog history as you term it- just dirty tricks. Ed wanted to close the whole matter down.
I was advised to ignore which I try to do.
I feel I have a responsibility to others as well as myself- you think what you like. I feel fed up trying to convince you frankly.
Ian Toon
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:48 PM
Comment #37Ibiza – I suspect this is about you- having now read your post above.
I made the comment to you because it was my opinion of what you were writing. I preferred your funny material that’s all – you wrote as if you were totally brazen off- being polite.
On critiques I write them on football all the time.
Ibizatoon
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:49 PM
Comment #38Ian….If you would prefer then, a blog history of dirty tricks? Why so pedantic? There is a historic issue with regard to you on this blog, whether the claims are true or not.
You mentioned a while back that Ed had posted something on the subject. I asked you to clarify this, you didn’t.
During the height of the problem I requested contact with you, you declined.
You mention Jimmysmiths post. This bit it was caught my attention and is what the intention of my post to you today was about:
“the letting of sleeping dogs to lie. Truce please.”
How can a truce be called when you also keep persisting in targetting people? Myself included? Is it part of your responsibilities to others?
You may not care, but I’d be disappointed if you yet again chose not to answer and delay putting this to bed yet again.
I have no axe to grind Ian. I just always find it odd how you play the victim, yet do what you accuse others of doing. I.E. Playing the man.
As you, and the rest of the blog know, there was a time when I fought your corner on the original issue. Why do you think that changed?
OneAlanShearer
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:49 PM
Comment #39I can’t see us starting 442 against man or 352 suggested on the mag. I would go 451 play on the break with obertan on the right and thauvin on the left. Mitrovic up front and sissoko, colback and Wijnaldum in the centre. I would play Mbemba at right back for his pace against depay. Saylor and Colo in the centre with Haidara at left back.
Ian Toon
Aug 21, 2015 at 2:59 PM
Comment #40Ibiza – Your out of touch mate. things moved on with various accusations of countless people being me. They all stopped posting because of the abuse and hostility subsequently confirmed as legitimate bloggers. The last one Mr Funk was on the other evening- I deliberately have had no contact for obvious reasons.
I remember not believing Ruddy when he claimed dirty tricks but I suspect I was wrong.
I come on here for the football craic and I have had a good week of watchin