A number of fans have expressed some concerns about our lack of transfer business so far this summer, especially when we hear that Rafa was hoping to have up to five players in by now – and we’ve been guilty of some of that.
But we all have to be a little patient and it’s a really difficult task that Rafa and Lee Charnley and his team have to bring in up to say seven first team players, but also get rid of a number of players who have no futures at Newcastle.
It’s a lot more difficult than even last summer, when both men did an absolutely stellar job for the club.
Rafa Benitez – huge task with the help of Lee Charnley this summer
But they can still get the job done
The news over the last few days is that we are finding it hard to compete with some mid-table Premier League clubs mainly because of being down below and missing out on the huge payouts in the first year of the new Premier League £5.1B TV rights deal.
We cannot do anything about that now – that’s water under the Tyne Bridge – but we are back in the Premier League and we have to realize Rafa and Lee have an extremely difficult task on their hands this summer – but can still get the job done.
The good news is that Newcastle have seemed to have ratcheted things up in the transfer market since Rafa returned last Monday to take preseason training and we are being linked with some good players and reported to be trying to make deals for a number of them.
Here are some of the players we are reported to be after:
- Adama Traore – the latest news is that we are negotiating with Middlesbrough on a possible swap deal with goalkeeper Karl Darlow going the other way and if we can pull this one off it would be a very good deal for both clubs.
- Andreas Samaris – we are negotiating with Benfica and trying to get closer to a deal with Newcastle still around about £3M short of Benfica’s valuation of Samaris at £17.5M, but it’s reported this player is one of Rafa’s top targets this summer and the manager wants the deal closed.
- Andros Townsend – there’s news in the Croydon Advertiser today that Newcastle are about to make their move for our former winger, who excelled under Rafa Benitez in the first half of last year.
We are assuming Andros still has a £13M release clause in his contract and with today’s crazy transfer fees he would be a great deal for us – and that’s the fee we got from Crystal Place for him last summer. - Jota – in what could be a surprise signing, it’s reported that Rafa Benitez is after the Brentford playmaker who has recently played in La Liga and we were first linked with Jota (full name Jose Ignacio Peleteiro Ramallo) in mid-June.
That’s when Sky Sports reported the Newcastle manager was interested in signing his fellow countryman. There’s a possibility that we could sign this player soon, although other clubs are also in for him. - Bas Dost – Newcastle have reportedly bid £35M for the Sporting Lisbon striker but the Lisbon club want to full £53M in his release clause – and that seems far too much for Newcastle this summer at least.
The Chronicle are reporting today that maybe the money available to Rafa is only around £70M and not the £100M or more that had been reported earlier in the summer.
Rafa wants up to another five first team players brought in after we have already signed Christian Atsu and Florian Lejeune – and we cannot really spend £35M on one player – not this summer anyway.
So there’s five good players Newcastle seem to be in for at the moment – and it would be great if we can say get a couple of them through the door in the next week.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
189 comments so far
BenArfa the magician
Jul 8, 2017 at 3:08 PM
Comment #1In pre season I would love to see Ritchie move to a number 10 and Mbemba along Shelvey as DM. Ritchie is very clever, very close control, great work ethic and can spot a pass well and due to his lack of pace the no 10 role I think he would be perfect for.
Hopefully get Traore in, with him,Atsu and Aarons give us actual pace out wide that we haven’t had in years. Traore and Yedlin on the right would have to be the quickest right side to a team in the Prem and most of the world. At least we’d be very exciting to watch especially if we could add Batshuayi to the mix. Dreams I know.
AncientC
Jul 8, 2017 at 3:08 PM
Comment #2Interesting article on Adama Traore: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39695746
‘According to the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES), the 21-year-old Spanish winger is the best player in Europe – when it comes dribbling.
By dividing the number of dribbles attempted by the percentage of successful ones the CIES has come up with a list of the top 100 dribblers in Europe’s top five leagues.
Traore tops the rankings ahead of Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, while Barcelona forward Messi comes in sixth, just behind Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha. Barcelona forward Neymar is fourth – but Real Madrid’s Ronaldo doesn’t even make the list.’
AncientC
Jul 8, 2017 at 3:10 PM
Comment #3I would imagine you could scratch Townsend and Bas Dost off. The other 3 would do nicely.
Reilly
Jul 8, 2017 at 3:12 PM
Comment #4We need players off the books before new ones come in.
calvinzolamakongo
Jul 8, 2017 at 3:17 PM
Comment #5Losing woodman would seem a lot more likely now his dad is at arsenal especially with both of their keepers ageing
jga81
Jul 8, 2017 at 3:34 PM
Comment #6Another sh1te misleading headline on here as usual
Munster Mag
Jul 8, 2017 at 3:37 PM
Comment #7Happy to get cash or a player for darlo
Tsunki
Jul 8, 2017 at 3:54 PM
Comment #8Another alter ego for the serial blog whinger
Tsunki
Jul 8, 2017 at 3:55 PM
Comment #9The Bob Dust trail surely has to be false the figures quoted are ludicrous for a player who is hardly a household name. Outside this blog of course.
lesh
Jul 8, 2017 at 3:58 PM
Comment #10jga81
As they say in Darras Hall, if you don’t like tbe Blog, f**k off and find one that suits you. You might have some success if you started looking in the library’s children’s section.
lesh
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:05 PM
Comment #11Tsunki
The markers are Lukaku and Lacazette’s fees, £75 and £54m respectively and it’ll be interesting to see how much Bas Dost sells for – if he does leave this window.
g.s.tooner
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:06 PM
Comment #12if we’ve sign lejeune, samaris, jota, traore and townsend we have failed this transfer window because we still have dummet at left back who is not good enough for PM and only gayle up front who only MIGHT be good enough.
We needed a playmaker cb lb and striker coming into this window. 50% of that is not acceptable
g.s.tooner
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:07 PM
Comment #13PL*
lesh
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:09 PM
Comment #14Reilly @4
No we don’t need players off the books before new ones come in. We can get them off the books afterwards if needs be.
I understand why you said what you said but the timings a matter of choice by the powers that be.
hibbit
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:12 PM
Comment #15anybody got this approved blogger list…………………Please must have missed it
Tsunki
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:13 PM
Comment #16Lesh agreed wd need key replacements that aren’t included in this current a list of supposed
target, but that adds weight to the argent of shipping players out. If Dummett, Colback and the like stay as any more than backup then it looks like we will be swimming with the bilge rats this season and leaking goals .
Tsunki
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:14 PM
Comment #17Argent? Wasn’t that a band ha ha.
jga81
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:14 PM
Comment #18Leah f@ck off al say what a want the shud write things worth a read as we say in Gateshead y kn0b end
Hail Wor Ashley
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:15 PM
Comment #19Kovacic
Hernandez
Townsend
Gibbs
That’ll do me.
Bobbybee
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:15 PM
Comment #20I think the FA need to give their head a shake. Everton have just had a huge cash injection, so are hardly skint. Spent about 100m so far, yet they sign Rooney on a free with the agreement that Manure pay a percentage of his wages.
Is that even within the laws of the game? Rhetorical question as it must be, but how is that even remotely right?
Clearly he wouldn’t leave Manure whilst trousering 250k a week, so it’s only the help they’re getting with wages that allows Everton to sign him. I accept it must be legal, but is it right?
jga81
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:15 PM
Comment #21Kno it all is it your blog like
Ron Knee
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:17 PM
Comment #22Hold your head up, Tsunki!
Tsunki
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:18 PM
Comment #23Jga81 it’s a blog you tank you’re another slackwit who doesn’t get the point it’s not about cutting edge journalism it’s collating – sorry big word – gathering rumour, hearsay and trivia to spark conversation. Not your bleating and screeching about the lack of a good read. You won’t be satisfied until the internet does pop-up articles.
Tsunki
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:18 PM
Comment #24Highhhhh!!!!
Tsunki
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:20 PM
Comment #25RIP blog search feature.
There’s one you missed Ron 🙂
AncientC
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:23 PM
Comment #26If players need to be removed before new arrivals can come in, why is Gouffran being offered a new deal, and where is Anita’s replacement.
Ron Knee
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:23 PM
Comment #27A previous incarnation of Argent was the Zombies. Not a lot of people know that – or would care to.
Yes, Tsunki. RIP all martoon’s predictions!
Ron Knee
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:27 PM
Comment #28Arsenal apparently want to get shot of Gibbs, Debuchy, Jenkinson, and Lucas Perez. I wonder if we’ll sign Gibbs.
toon kk
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:28 PM
Comment #29I’ll get excited when quality signings are signed up atm we’re on for a swift return to the championship.
magscar
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:28 PM
Comment #30Lesh@14
It may be the “powers that be” choice but that in itself does not make it the wrong one. As Rafa has found this is a very different market to the one that he (and we) may have been looking forward to in mid-May. Our history is littered with players we failed to shift from Marcelino, Alan Smith, Luque etc through to Riviere. It is not as easy as you seem to think discarding no longer required players on long contracts and decent wages. Buying in when signs are that we aren’t attracting interest for those we want out is a recipe for problems both financial and in dressing room. It may have to come to that but I hope not as squad size is limited and players not in it can be a problem. Buying in and then selling can lead to potential buyers testing your desperation to unload by loans or silly bids.
We need every penny this particular window and I was pleased to read in Chronicle earlier that it seems some of expected PL earnings are released in tranches so we may see additional funds coming in sooner 🙂
Bobbybee
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:31 PM
Comment #31Reilly, I agree on that point mate. As does Rafa who has expressed the need to lose players as we bring them in.
Problem with signing players but not offloading others is clear – you might not sell the deadwood later.
Squad sizes dictate that you can’t afford to have players not even eligible to play whilst taking wages out the club. That was the risk of spending to get out the Championship. We’ve got players who won’t make the squad and hence the one in one out. We need to free up the wages of the deadwood before adding to the wage bill. Football economics that Rafa is fully aware of and is working within those boundaries.
magscar
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:33 PM
Comment #32Ron Knee
Zombies were a good band and have been touring their underated and overlooked 60s album “Odyssey and Oracle” for around 12 months in States. From what I recall of your musical posts not perhaps one for you though?
Bobbybee
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:33 PM
Comment #33Mags car – SNAP!!! 🙂
Ron Knee
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:34 PM
Comment #34I always liked ‘She’s not there’, magscar.
magscar
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:37 PM
Comment #35Bobby
As you probably know we see eye to eye on many things but I no longer post regularly and make every attempt not to get dragged into the stupidity on here which made me have a long hiatus last year. Mostly calmed down but there are still occasional flare ups 😉
ShirebrookToon
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:38 PM
Comment #36How many first teamers need to be shipped out in order to trim the fat? So to speak
AncientC
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:43 PM
Comment #374 goalkeepers and 5 centre backs, and the squad is too brimming to bring in a DM or a number 10. I am not buying that one.
If the club cannot afford to bolster 2 positions that are crying out to be reinforced, there is a huge problem.
magscar
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:44 PM
Comment #38Ron Knee
Shes Not There is excellent track but not on the album. Their equally well known and superb single Time Of The Season is though but not necessarily typical of rest of it. Bit of a cult album which probably failed to chart as it was hardly promoted by record company as band split. Colin Bluestone (vocals) going solo and Argent emerging as well.
Sorry folks who get wound up by any musical reverie – lots on here I would rather not read either but just move on 🙂
magscar
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:47 PM
Comment #39Bluntstone not Bluestone aagh!!
BenArfa the magician
Jul 8, 2017 at 4:51 PM
Comment #40Sell – Colback,Hanley,Haidara,Diame,Riviere,De Jong, Saivet,Darlow, Krul, Murphy, Mitro at right price and even Perez at right price.
Its obvious not all will be sold but we do need a good clear out. Put De Jong in there as the few games he hasn’t been injured he looked way off the pace.