The Chronicle are reporting today the one position Rafa wants to be strengthened as soon as possible is the striker position.
We bid £20M for Alassane Plea of Nice last week and it was turned down.
The reports were that we would go back in with an increased bid but it looks like we got cold feet and the second bid has yet to be tabled.
Tottenham are now in the race for the striker who wanted to join Rafa at Newcastle but we may have messed this one up.
And we are supposed to have gone back in for West Brom striker Salomon Rondon who would be cheaper than Plea at around £16.5M.
But at least on the outside, this looks like Newcastle are the same old Newcastle – slow and cumbersome without any real ambition.
Rafa Benitez – when will they ever learn?
And if it’s not this way then Lee Charnley should come out and say what’s really going on without naming the targets.
Once the Magpies’ transfer fee is not accepted they (Mike Ashley?) seem very unwilling to raise their bid by a few million to get their man.
You can never accuse Newcastle of being like the FBI – they hardly ever get their man.
And it will take a new owner for Newcastle to really change the way we do business.
But Rafa by his strength of personality and know-how is doing his very best to literally drag Newcastle (shouting and screaming) back into the big time of world club football.
But it shouldn’t be this difficult for our world-class manager – he should be getting much more help from the Newcastle hierarchy – not continuous pushback.
Newcastle will leave for Ireland on Wednesday for their training camp near Dublin and Rafa is hoping to get one (Kenedy) and maybe two (Rondon) signed up by then.
Newcastle will have to move fast to get their men – so it probably won’t happen.
Sorry to be so negative but realistic.
Better things may lie ahead.
🙂
Comments welcome.
55 comments so far
barkel
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:11 PM
Comment #41Looks like any talk of Rafa being considered for Spain was just the usually media spin
DubaiMicky
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:12 PM
Comment #42Hey I forgot, we do have a new striker – Yannick Toure admittedly he’s just 17 but……
lochinvar
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:13 PM
Comment #43According to Portuguese outlet ‘A Bola’, Newcastle are interested in signing Sporting Lisbon star Bruno Fernandes.
The 23-year-old playmaker bagged an outstanding 16 goals and 20 assists in 56 games last season, with that form earning him a place in Portugal’s World Cup squad this summer.
Expect a transfer fee of that magic never to be related number £20m to get a mention.
Seems a better proposition that an older Rondon with less sell on value.
And just think we can sing that Abba song. Nice.
ronaldo aarons
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:14 PM
Comment #44What I like about Pavard is that he suffered relegation, came back up, had a season in the bundesliga and is now playing in the World Cup and likely to transfer to a huge team.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:15 PM
Comment #45@Jayphoto
Rondon, Kenedy, Perez and Townsend with Shelvey and Diame/Ki together I think with our defense as solid as it was last season would be a tough proposition for a lot of teams !! Would also quite like us to keep Armstrong this season for back up and to try and stake a claim somewhere in the team
Having Rondon holding it up would allow Perez to play his little flicks that would get him into positions to score more goals as well
If we could also get another left back in to challenge Dummett and also to allow us to be a bit more attacking at times would be good that Bristol City left back Bryan always impressed last season still quite young!
ronaldo aarons
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:16 PM
Comment #46Bruno fernandes has to be just pure rumours. He’s got bigger clubs with deeper pockets after him. Unless if he really likes his wall paper, we’ve got no chance. Shame as he is a quality number 10.
DubaiMicky
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:18 PM
Comment #47So we’re been televised for the first four games of the season (from nufc.co.uk
The Magpies welcome Tottenham Hotspur to St. James’ Park on Saturday, 11th August – the opening day of the campaign. The game was due to kick-off at 3pm, but has now been brought forward to 12:30pm and will be shown live on Sky Sports.
United’s trip to newly-promoted Cardiff City the following weekend will also be shown on Sky Sports. That fixture at the Cardiff City Stadium was due to kick-off at 3pm, but has also now been brought forward to 12:30pm.
Rafa Benítez’s side then welcome Chelsea to Tyneside, but that game has now been moved back to be shown on Sky. It was set to kick off at 3pm on Saturday, 25th August, but will now take place on Sunday, 26th August, with kick-off set for 4pm.
And the trip to champions Manchester City has also been rearranged, as it will now be shown live on BT Sport. The game will remain on the same date – Saturday, 1st September – but will now kick-off at 5:30pm.
Ouch, Cardiff away at 12.30 – could be worse for the travelling 3,500, could be an 8pm ko on a Tuesday i guess.
ronaldo aarons
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:19 PM
Comment #48Jay
I suggested Borja mayoral a few times back in Jan as a loan signing alongside another striker. Perhaps could have bought him as there were a lot of rumours knocking about that ronaldo didn’t like him and let zidane know about it. Hence his lack of first team appearances. Kid is quality and for a young striker already is well rounded and can do the lot.
ronaldo aarons
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:21 PM
Comment #49Southampton signing Jannik vestergaard for £18m. He’s a good defender and is overdue his transfer to the premier league. When we were Linked with him a few years ago we (Ashley) deemed him too expensive at about £8m.
martoon
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:24 PM
Comment #50Must be quite a delay to Dubai – that news has been out about a week now Micky 😀
lesh
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:29 PM
Comment #51Whoops, another auto correct presumption the phone got wrong.
‘Jib. No need to apologise my friend for talking football. That’s what the wife’s* about……’ = ‘….blog’s about…..’!
Stupid boy!
DubaiMicky
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:29 PM
Comment #52We do live under sharia law here so it’s 1439 here.
The year, not the time – it’s 16.29
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:33 PM
Comment #53Jannick Vestergaard £18M 😀
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:38 PM
Comment #54Lesh…what a phone you have 🙂 lol
bettyswallocks
Jul 9, 2018 at 1:48 PM
Comment #55Just read on Newsnow that Joselu is off on loan to FC Copenhagen with an option to buy.