Newcastle are very interested in Strasbourg defender Ismael Doukoure according to a report from 90min. The 19-year-old has emerged as one of France’s brightest defensive prospects after a breakthrough season.
Doukoure has made 19 appearances this term for Strasbourg. His performances have caught the attention of a number of top clubs including Newcastle, Arsenal, and PSG. The youngster is currently with the French U20 squad.
Doukoure can play center-back or right-back and has split his time between both positions this season. Newcastle are reportedly in the market for a young right-footed defender with Benfica’s Antonio Silva also recently linked.
Newcastle could afford to bring Doukoure along slowly with Fabian Schar still showing outstanding form. Jamaal Lascelles has also played well when given the opportunity though his future beyond this season is uncertain.
Doukoure joined Strasbourg in January 2022 from Valenciennes FC on a four-year contract to 2026. His sudden rise could see Strasbourg make a massive profit on the £1.2m they shelled out for him.
The competition appears to be fierce with PSG and Arsenal also linked. Being linked with rising talents like Doucoure and Silva is very exciting. They are both just 19 and look like future stars.
***Below are some details on a charity effort from one of our readers.***
We need your help….
You will all remember David who lost his life to cancer whilst receiving unbelievable love and help from the staff at St Oswalds Hospice, below is taken from The Evening Chronicle who covered David’s story with the Posse
“When fun-loving David Hepburn was told he was living on borrowed time as he fought two brain tumours, his family and friends kept him fighting by making him laugh.
And as they tackled each day with a giggle, the band of brothers and family helped him raise more than £20,000 for the hospice taking care of him in his time of need.
David and his pal’s friendships had lasted decades after being built on fun – and for months they helped fight his illness by making him giggle”
But now the wonderful people at St Oswalds Hospice need our help more than ever, times are so difficult for so many people these days but never harder than when losing a loved one.
We are asking for any donations that people can afford, we are also asking people to share the link to those who may not be aware just what a wonderful place St Ozzies is, David chose to be at Ozzies for his last day’s, it is so special to so many of us.
Once you access the Charity Giving Page, you will see David and his beautiful daughter Sara who grew her wings to be with her Dad.
Please if you can donate, I cannot think of a more worthwhile charity, than one that helps so many at St Oswalds Hospice.
Families across the North East rely on St Oswald’s Hospice at the most difficult times of their lives. Their services are a lifeline to so many.
As a charitable hospice, ensuring the services remain free and doors stay open for those who desperately need them is an ever growing challenge.
Please help me secure the future of hospice care in the North East by donating to my fundraising page in support of St Oswald’s first ever Giving Day. The race is on to raise £300k in 33 hours and during this time, your donation will be DOUBLED!
Please click on the link below if you are able to donate.
https://www.charityextra.com/stoswaldshospice/terry-egdell
329 comments so far
Fenham to Chalfont
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:18 PM
Comment #1Howay get your money into St Oswalds for a great cause
Sir Pugalot, the Dutch Bulldog
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:19 PM
Comment #2FtC and I agree. Who knew? 🙂
Sir Pugalot, the Dutch Bulldog
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:21 PM
Comment #3https://www.charityextra.com/stoswaldshospice/terry-egdell
Fenham to Chalfont
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:22 PM
Comment #4Doukoure would be a great understudy to Schar. We’ve been tracking this lad most of this season and is exactly what we need. Young, fast, bags of potential and hungry. I love to see us at the table for such players, but young and develop them to how we are and play.
ToonDarnSarf
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:24 PM
Comment #5Raj – I don’t get that attitude. If we get down to a point that we need to use Dummett, then it’s better we have Dummett than have to select someone worse.
Hopefully there are youth players and/or new signings to make renewing Dummett’s contract unnecessary though.
Raj of Hailsley
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:27 PM
Comment #6TDSarf,
He’s never fit. He’s not worth a new deal, we’d be hamstrings ourselves in the January.
CLINT FLICK
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:35 PM
Comment #7Is it really that much of a problem, Dummett?
He’ll move on soon enough, as will others that have outgrown their usefulness.
dazzler
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:37 PM
Comment #8TDS,
I refuse to believe we don’t have a young CB/LB we can call upon in an absolute emergency.
Dummett is probably staying to become the U21 mentor type player (a lot of the big teams do it), where they play with the youngins and give them their perspective on how to step up to the seniors and build a bit of mental resolve. It’s usually a stopgap into coaching, which I can definitely see Dummett doing with us when the boots are hung up..
Bambams
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:37 PM
Comment #9We are at £2690….
Almost half way to our target, the fundraising ends at 6pm tomorrow night, if the 50 champions can raise the required target, the wealthy benefactors double it !
Kieran Trippier is one of those benefactors !
Thank you to everyone for the donations !
Staff at St Oswalds have rang me to pass on their huge gratitude to all those who have donated.
The signed shirt is currently at £500.00 – brilliant
Thanks again you lot x
A Geordie Mongrel
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:39 PM
Comment #10Afternoon all, all caught up after a day off the blog. I’m not familiar with Doukoure but he seems to fit the mold of being young, emerging and can play multiple positions. With Lascelles, Schar, Botman and Trippier to bring him on plus Eddie’s coaching what’s not to like?
On Maxi he was a rose in an overgrown garden. Now the weeds are being removed and new planting being established he no longer dominates the view. Doesn’t alter the fact that he is a beautiful rose. He he, my inner gardener is coming out. 🙂
Oh and Sir Pug, I spotted your Pugwash reference.
Sir Pugalot, the Dutch Bulldog
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:40 PM
Comment #11AGM 🙂
Apex Predator
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:41 PM
Comment #12Whor b should donate all them tenners he gets off his punters 😀
ToonDarnSarf
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:45 PM
Comment #13Raj – but if he’s our best option for the first half of the season why would we choose to be worse off? Can always loan him out in January if we sign someone better.
Apex Predator
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:46 PM
Comment #14Personally id get osimhen as he is the missing piece in our attack the forward we need for 150 mill. Use remaining 50 mill on a defensive midfielder like Alvarez or kone or kante. They’re the 2 critical positions for me. We can get by regarding other positions until Summer 2024 or January if we get desperate
Apex Predator
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:47 PM
Comment #15Get both osimhen and hojlund we are in dreamland
Apex Predator
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:48 PM
Comment #16Cover shortage of midfield by playing 4231 if need be
ToonDarnSarf
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:49 PM
Comment #17Dazzler – if he stays as a player then he’ll be in the 25 man squad and therefore will be training to be available to play for the first team. You’re highlighting the value of experience but seemingly ignoring it in the same comment.
Dummett has PL experience, something that most of our youngsters will never have. Notwithstanding his fitness issues, Dummett could still currently do a job in the PL if called upon but most of our youngsters couldn’t.
I hope we don’t have to give him a new deal but I really don’t understand why some fans are so keen to get rid of players before there’s a replacement for them. I’d sell nobody if we were given special dispensation to have 35 in the squad next season…
ToonDarnSarf
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:50 PM
Comment #18Osimhen is cloud cuckoo land unless we qualify for the CL and still very unlikely if we do.
Apex Predator
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:53 PM
Comment #19No way this is a woman. Its nose reminds me of wor b
https://twitter.com/BBCLookNorth/status/1640625011168870401?s=20
Apex Predator
Mar 28, 2023 at 2:59 PM
Comment #20Masters getting grilled
https://twitter.com/NCSL1892/status/1640673637907742720?s=20
Apex Predator
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:03 PM
Comment #21Not going away
https://twitter.com/NUFC360/status/1640708483971706881?s=20
Adamn_92
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:04 PM
Comment #22AP
Osimhen would be amazing. I think if we qualify for Europe though, we need to spread whatever budget we have to bring a number of players in. Quality players. If we only brought in 3 players, with the players leaving or have contract expiring, our squad would be weaker in terms of numbers. We would be thread bare for next season and playing more games. We need to spend smartly again to make sure we give ourselves enough quality for each position + a backup.
Apex Predator
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:04 PM
Comment #23Worrying
https://twitter.com/MartinSLewis/status/1640656368871809025?s=20
Raj of Hailsley
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:06 PM
Comment #24What do you mean does it matter?
Of course it matters, giving injury prone over the hill players new contracts to loan out 6 months later, that worked great with Dwight Gayle. Dummet is out of contract and let him move on.
Apex Predator
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:07 PM
Comment #25Adamn we could get in loans or ashby type signings to replaces likes of ritchie dummett but id spend majority on osimhen. We can keep most of the players i.e lascelles manquillo krafth as cover
Adamn_92
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:09 PM
Comment #26AP
Yeah I guess it depends on how Howe and the team see the rebuild going and timescales etc. They may want a big clear out this summer which would mean needing multiple signings to replace them. Or they may be prepared to do it more gradually, so sign 1 or 2 big names and keep a few players around for another season. I think that’s unlikely though judging by how we’ve done business so far.
Who knows though, will be an interesting summer that’s for sure!
Bills Son Is Back
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:09 PM
Comment #27This is concerning…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65102462
On the face of it PIF are offering two entirely different versions of their status and that of our chairman in relation to control and sovereign ownership.
This isn’t going to go away.
How it ends is the biggest concern.
Toon fans bad
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:10 PM
Comment #28Don’t know anything about this Doukoure player, but the Williams lad looked good at the WC for Spain.
Get them both in, no messing about 😆
dazzler
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:11 PM
Comment #29TDS,
Who said he’d be registered in the senior squad? If (and I appreciate it’s purely speculation) he’s being retained to sit within the U21s and act as a mentor then he wouldn’t be. He’d effectively become a youth coach, with a focus on the mental aspect of stepping up as a pro. I read this a while ago about Tom Huddleston playing for Man Utd’s U21s:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11070899/Tom-Huddlestone-appointed-Manchester-United-U21-player-coach-youth-mentoring-role-Old-Trafford.html
This could be the idea behind retaining Dummett and is something being adopted by a lot of clubs – If that’s the case then Dummett wouldn’t have a place in the senior squad – but he could be perfect for the role, having made the step up from our own youth set up.
It wouldn’t weaken us if he were to leave though, he’s literally played one game all season and it was a game he struggled in vs league two opposition. He was a useful squad player at one point, but his injuries have caught up to him.
Adamn_92
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:13 PM
Comment #30Dummett extension only makes sense if he’s tutoring and looking to move in to a coaching role here, as Dazzler says. It might even be the case that we keep him but don’t register him in the 25 man squad if we get a better replacement/upgrade in. Then he can play in under 21 games and tutor there.
He’s played 1 game this season, 90 minutes. That’s it.
Last season he played 3 times for a total of 198 minutes.
2 seasons and a grand total of 288 minutes, just slightly over 3 full matches worth of game time in 2 seasons. He is a waste of a squad place i’m afraid, but happy for him to stay around to tutor and coach if he takes up no squad position.
Whatever happens i’d be surprised if he isn’t some form of coach here in the next few years.
Apex Predator
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:13 PM
Comment #31Adamn this is about our opinion. No one knows what eddie will do this Summer obviously he could do anything. He might even fall out with owners and get sacked. We just dont know
Apex Predator
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:15 PM
Comment #32We dont really know how much money we will have to spend so depends if all our financials line up
CLINT FLICK
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:16 PM
Comment #33Raj
At this point in time, when absolutely nothing can or will change as we’re 2/3rds thru a season. The club isn’t in financial straights, is going totally on the correct trajectory.
In the grand, or even immediate, scheme of things…it doesn’t matter!
…unless you know better… regale us.
Adamn_92
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:19 PM
Comment #34Bills
Masters is only saying no comment as he knows if he said anything other than that, someone could use it against him on either side of the argument later. It’s just a safe answer. I’d be very surprised if the Premier League wanted to open that can of worms again. Not to mention PIF would have the best legal team available to make it an absolute nightmare.
I might be being stupid, but what would the actual ramifications be if it turned out PIF were ” a sovereign instrumentality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ” ?
Wasn’t the main issue that they were concerned the Saudi government would have a say in the running of the club? That still wouldn’t prove they have any say in the running of the club, just provide investment backing and PCP actually do the running of the club.
CLINT FLICK
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:20 PM
Comment #35Eddie’s doing what feels is best.
I’m not gonna question that.
He’s got shit loads right, virtually nothing wrong!
Why invent problems when we can just tune into the process with patience and faith in the club?
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:22 PM
Comment #36@Adam92
I always assumed it was because it would have meant MBS would have to take the owners test would he not?
Which for KSA would be a no no but also they could potentially say he wasn’t fit enough to be an owner……
To be fair what really could happen the premier league make the Saudi’s sell their share of the club? Is that going to happen I doubt very much
Oh also an “independent” regulator with Tory fingers involved in it haha don’t make me laugh
dazzler
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:22 PM
Comment #37Dummett just doesn’t have it in the tank to play competitively at a high level anymore. His hammies are completely cabbaged at this point, so even as an emergency he’s too risky.
A good player once upon a time, and seemingly a model pro who made the step up to the seniors. He could be ideal to guide the next batch of younger players looking at making the leap.
Raj of Hailsley
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:23 PM
Comment #38CF,
It was being discussed about giving him a new deal, you said it didn’t matter.
Fenham to Chalfont
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:23 PM
Comment #39If the worst happened (I’m convinced it won’t) re our owners owning NUFC and the new evidence came about because of LIV Golf. Then they will just change out our chairman (Rumayyan) to someone else. Simple as that really. But it won’t come to that, no chance on earth.
Adamn_92
Mar 28, 2023 at 3:23 PM
Comment #40The Premier League don’t give a rats ass who owns what club. The issue with our takeover was other clubs didn’t like it and Bein sports didn’t like it due to piracy.
The takeover miraculously went through when the piracy stuff got sorted.
Look at other owners in the league, they don’t care and won’t care about our ownership. They just have to pretend to now and again when the question is asked to which they’ll no doubt reply with ‘no comment’ each time.