Italian outlet TuttoMercato are reporting that Newcastle will have to pay around £14M if they want to get Juventus central midfielder Stefan Sturaro.
Newcastle are reported to have already bid around €12M (£10.5M), so we are withing £3.5M of meeting the Juventus price for their 4 times capped Italian international.
And with 21-year-old Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino likely to leave the club this summer it becomes essential for Rafa to bring in at least one new central midfielder.
Newcastle have been scouting the Italian for the last year and so if he is a target for Newcastle – which the Chronicle have reported he is – then surely we need to go back in and raise our offer for the midfielder?
25-year-old Juventus central midfielder Stefan Sturaro
Here is a piece from the TuttoMercato article:
“The first offer of Benitez, a real director of the operation, is €12M. Wide scissors (wide of the mark?), because the request is €20M. Possible, however, to be halfway between.”
Halfway between €12M and €20M is €16M which is £14M
Maybe a bid of around £12.5M could clinch the deal, but Newcastle must move some of these transfer discussions forward for their summer targets.
Or else it could turn out to be like last summer when many of the moves for our targets got stuck in the mud – so to speak.
Newcastle are either still interested or else they should move onto other targets if we will not pay the transfer fee.
But it could also be we are getting near to the signing of Stefan Sturaro if only the hierarchy will show some initiative and drive.
There are other clubs interested in the player.
So if it’s true that Rafa wants him at Newcastle, we hope the hierarchy will pay out the money and get Stefan Sturaro to the club as our second signing of the summer.
Comments welcome.
222 comments so far
jane
Jun 23, 2018 at 5:47 AM
Comment #201i don’t think it was a clear penalty as Mitrovic was pushing and holding too.
jane
Jun 23, 2018 at 5:55 AM
Comment #202“tomorrow’s predictions
Brazil 0 Costa Rica 0
Nigeria 0 Iceland 3
Serbia 0 Switzerland 1”
unlucky on one and lucky on another.
today’s predictions
Belgium 2 Tunisia 0
South Korea 0 Mexico 1
Germany 0 Sweden 0
jane
Jun 23, 2018 at 6:06 AM
Comment #203wonder if Musa is going to be available. better than Slimani by the looks.
jazzyp
Jun 23, 2018 at 6:33 AM
Comment #204Jiblets now a self confessed Itk expert…. The list of expertise grows every day
santon3
Jun 23, 2018 at 6:41 AM
Comment #205tbh Rafa has also made some terrible signings, but probably there are so many people will come up with reasons to defend him. I’m not saying Rafa is bad manager, but he is not perfect, he has done many great things too.
I’m still confused until now what happened between Rafa and Mitro, he is far better than any real strikers that we have now (Perez not included). If it’s his behavior on the pitch, Shelvey had similar problem with Mitro, both are getting better imo. Even Jorgensen won’t be much better Mitro and he costs more than Mitro. Why sent Mitro away while we only have Gayle, Joselu, and Slimani? Perez and Mitro already has good partnership up front.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jun 23, 2018 at 6:59 AM
Comment #206Do we have Slimani now as well! …ohh dear lord 🙁
lochinvar
Jun 23, 2018 at 7:37 AM
Comment #207How about the England defenders wrestling a Panama player to the ground in the England Penalty box to test out VAR. Based on the fact that the officials deliberately ignore such skirmishes then there’ll be nothing to worry about. Will there. ?
The officials are not even reviewing these incidents so the only conclusion is corruption.
Jib
Jun 23, 2018 at 7:56 AM
Comment #208As regards the interest of Sampdoria, Berisha reports the following:
“They are very interested. I have to make a decision about it when I have made a decision with the family. But I know they are very interested in picking me up.
– What about Newcastle?
“They’ve been following me for a long time. There is an interest there, but there is nothing on the table that I have to decide on yet. England is the dream and we will see
Jib
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:04 AM
Comment #209Ahmed Musa for Nigeria looked first rate last night.
This is where you have to be careful with the WC
Musa scored a brace vs Argentina in Brazil 2014
Leicester bought him from Moscow for a record fee
He was such a flop at Leicester they loaned him back
to CSKA in January !!!!
sing in the corner
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:04 AM
Comment #210Lochinvar
Yeah it’s a right mess, and it could overshadow much of the World Cup the way it’s going.
Too late now of course, but with hindsight it’s a ridiculous decision to effectively trial it in football’s biggest show.
Clearly there’s a lot that should have been ironed out before dong so.
Mag52
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:05 AM
Comment #211AO.
sing in the corner
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:07 AM
Comment #212Lets go
Jib
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:09 AM
Comment #213That’s some fat lip Ciaran !!!
Mag52
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:09 AM
Comment #214While I think VAR is a move forward in football, the way it has been used so far in the WC is far from satisfactory. The grappling by two defenders on Mitro yesterday was even worse than that on Kane in the England game, and should have been a penalty for Serbia.
Jib
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:15 AM
Comment #215Folk on social media can be really frustrating at times.
I get the distinct impression that those who whined and
twisted about the introduction of VAR in footy for ages
are the same mob
who are whining and twisting that it’s not immediately perfect
Jib
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:23 AM
Comment #216Shaquiri and Xhaka to be fined by FIFA for
giving the the Alabanian eagle sign vs Serbia
The same one Anelka used to do with the interlocking
thumbs (his mother was Albanian)
Tsunki
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:26 AM
Comment #217Well done for missing the point by a taxi ride Jib.
It’s not the technology of VAR or the principle of it, I think most have always liked the idea and still do.
It’s the disappointing aspect of it being overseen by the same questionable officials who were always struggling with the idea of fair decision making.
lochinvar
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:37 AM
Comment #218And just what is wrong with making the sign of the Albanian Eagle ? The whole Tournament is encouraged not least of all by FIFA and TV broadcasters (hello Sky and BBC) to be a showcase for Countries from around the world to showcase their flags, anthems, colours, music and cultural identities.
Smacks of political control and power corruption.
Nice to see that the panel that hands out the Honours in this country has awarded four of their own committee such awards.
Do they think we’re stupid ?
OneAlanShearer
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:37 AM
Comment #219Jib – I watched a fair bit. They never played him as a striker as in my opinion he’s too like vardy. They’d occupy the same space.
I’d definitely give him try.
I Personally think we should be signing 2 or 3 strikers. I think we should sell mitro and Gayle. They’ve not been consistent enough.
Jib
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:45 AM
Comment #220A couple of points for those conspiracy theorists
VAR got Neymar’s dive spot-on
Mitrovic is really good at slyly grabbing a defenders shirt
and when they try to wriggle free make is look as if he’s
being man-handled
However you can join Tsunki in his profound knowledge of
international footy and believe ” questionable officials who
are struggling with the idea of fair decision making.”
lochinvar
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:45 AM
Comment #221They should have invited Jonjo Shelvey, he’s available and hair free.
Carles Puyol banned from Iranian TV. Football commentary, after they invited him. Why ? Bad hair day !
A frustrated Mr Ferdosipour, left to host the programme without his Spanish counterpart, told viewers before the match: “You must be aware that Carles Puyol was scheduled to be with us tonight. However, he is in his hotel right now. I did everything I could but it didn’t happen. I apologise,” ISNA news agency reported.
Initial reporting of the footballer’s absence focussed on speculation the star’s appearance fee was set too high – but on Thursday a different story emerged.
Mr Puyol was told by the state broadcaster IRIB he could not appear in the programme “because of his looks (long hair),” according to news website Entekhab, who quoted the footballer.
Iran has no official hairstyle policy but state TV is strictly against broadcasting anything considered unconventional or “un-Islamic” by the clergy and the conservative establishment.
The Iranian Football Federation’s code of conduct, the Charter of Ethics and Behaviour, says players must not sport hairstyles which help “spread foreign culture,” and footballers are occasionally warned for hairstyles deemed inappropriate by the authorities.
The bizarre news prompted many on social media to criticise the broadcaster.
The next Mike Williamson
Jun 23, 2018 at 8:46 AM
Comment #222Jane
If your predictions are right it could be an early exit for Germany. Even if they win, and they must, I can only see them coming 2nd and facing Brazil in the next round. This could be good for whoever finishes 2nd in our group. If we win our group and the next game then we’d potentially face the winner of brazil/germany and that will be the end of us.