Is it too late to be playing transfer games?

toonsy

Too late for playing games?
Too late for playing games?
So once again Newcastle go after a player only for a deal between ourselves and the current club of a player to seem beyond reach.

This time it’s Bafetimbi Gomis that we’re unable to strike a deal for according to widespread reports in the press.

Am I concerned? Yes and no. One one hand we’ve seen this before with other players who we’ve been interested in. We won’t be bullied into paying more, things go quiet and we end up with the player in question at some point in the future, so in that sense I’m almost convinced this is just all part of the game between Newcastle and Lyon and wouldn’t be surprised if this wasn’t the last we heard about Gomis this summer.

On the other hand, as commendable as our stance on transfers is from time to time, the fact remains that time is running out in the transfer market and whilst there is still a month to go until the window ‘slams’ (it always slams, never closes gently or anything like that!) shut the season draws ever closer and we’re losing a chance to get any new players bedded in before the big kick-off in just under three weeks time.

The difference in sums we’re talking about is probably in the region of a couple of million quid, which is a lot to you and me but it’s peanuts in terms of Premier League football. Is it not worth perhaps just saying, due to sheer desperation, that we should take a hit on this one and stop relatively splitting hairs over a transfer fee?

I’m sure a few more bob won’t push us over the precipice and into financial ruin. Say what you like about Ashley but he wouldn’t let that happen which is some comfort at least. Sometimes though you can’t have everything your own way and you need take a bit of a punt, which is something Newcastle seemingly don’t like doing when it comes to transfers.

Going back to what I said at the start, I’m almost certain that this won’t be the last we hear of Gomis in this transfer window and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if we saw him added to the squad before the end of the transfer window, but I just feel that United are leaing it late in the day to be playing these kind of transfer games.

Anyone agree?

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

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343 thoughts on “Is it too late to be playing transfer games?”

  1. Sharpy @218 Couldn’t agree more mate.

    Ice@223 ,That’s a tad more positive 😉

    Albert’stash@224 , If that’s true that’s one greedy ****** ,he won’t be on anywhere near that at Lyon 😯

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  4. they say be careful what you wish for,think most fans wanted owlheed out,they got there wish but look what we got in his place,but owlheed got five players in on a short window in jan,what the hell are you doing joe

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  7. Man city beating ACMilan 3.0 ,not looking forward to the opening game of the season ,feel a thrashing coming on 🙁

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  8. Ice – cant say I’d be particularly chuffed if I was Gouffran reading that little article like mate 😆
    But I agree. I think Remy would be great for our team, only difference is I’d want to buy him – or have the option written into his loan deal but for a set price.

    I don’t have a problem with him TBH. If QPR offered 3-5k more a week I’d be annoyed he picked them over us, but it wasn’t, it was 10-15k a week more – and I don’t believe anyone on here or supporter of the toon would have done different to be fair

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  10. who would take Bent as a last resort?

    I wouldnt take him at all. once hes here it’ll be hard to shift him if we ever did approach a decent striker.

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  13. So is that both Gomis and PEA we have had bids accepted. Tight bastards aren’t we.

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  14. TROY well for what its worth i think he is a very good player,what shocked me was bernard saying that because i think he got sacked at the toon,man with no grudges then maybe

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  15. @icedog

    Bernard loves the toon. hes worked here as an interpreter thru the Chron I think. might of been a one off when Cisse arrived..

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  18. TROY next time you meet that contact could please tell to him remind joe to switch his phone on all his worldwide friends must be wondering how he is 😉

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  20. Ice,
    I’m with you. I would be so so so so disappointed if Bent signed for us.
    It would be another Michael Owen senario except he’d score less goals.

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  21. Can’t see bent working well with Cisse, and would not be my 1st choice. However, stats speak for themselves and if he was the second of 2 strikers coming in then OK. But not as our main target.

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  22. Bent could do us a job still but he’d be behind Cisse and Gouffran for me like. I’m hoping we sign a CF who can challenge or play alongside Cisse – meaning he’s better than Gouffran!.

    Can’t believe Cardiff have paid £8m for Caulker :shock:. He’s a good player at 21 but that seems alot to me

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  23. @CaulkinTheTimes: Interest in Darren predates JFK – Llambias talks w/Villa hierarchy & Pardew longstanding relationship. Not prepared to pay more than £2m.

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  25. someone close to Remy has just told ESPN that Remy is close to toon move,more white imo,this has been the worst window for **** storeys

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  27. @CaulkinTheTimes: Fulham clear favourites to sign Darren Bent. #Nufc tactics have been muddled – stalling, nowhere near on fee/wages. Not entirely surprised.

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  29. …can well believe it’s agent bollocks that holds up 90% of the modern game’s transfer dealings.

    Fucking wheeler-dealer wide-boy wankers.

    …to coin a very obvious phrase – ‘too much money in the game’.

    …like flies roond ***** man.

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  30. 3HRS I hope that’s right I don’t rate him for toon,3/4 yes ago maybe,just a greedy **** well past his best,as Lambert has said he’s not a team player,hence the reason he wouldn’t pick him

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  33. …on Bent, with reference to Caulkin.
    Mind games. Too many journos giving their take, which in turn leads to another journo giving their take on their inspiration’s take.
    …aaaaad infinitum….
    (yawn)

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  35. I of course, on the other hand, am the massive chip-fat and ***-ash covered font of all knowledge. 😎

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  36. Incidentally, with reference to the Gomis twitterings:

    https://twitter.com/JM_Aulas

    …Pierrot, is apparently “…a male character from French pantomime with a whitened face, white costume, and pointed hat”.

    …could that be GFK. 😯 😯

    (Gandalf Faakin Kinnear, to yu) 😎

    AAVVVEEET! 😮

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  39. STOP PRESS! 😯

    Newcastle transfer target Bafetimbi Gomis’ club prepare to accept Toon bid they rejected last week that we previously confirmed was on, then off, then back on again, but might still not be, ahh whatever!

    IT’S A SCOOP! 😯 😎

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  40. Daily Mirror = Bollocks!

    We had the audacity to offer £2m for Bent when Fulham have bid £6 and just to make double sure we didn’t get him we asked him to take a 75% wage cut! All allegedly of course…

    🙁

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  41. …I suppose the press wouldn’t sell many papers with headlines like ‘Nothing much happening here, move along… 😐 ‘

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  45. Stuart, if your daily mirror is bollocks I’d suggest you reposition it a bit further up the wall, and at less of an angle. 😉

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  46. Not that bothered if we lose Bent tbh ,don’t think he was ever the answer to our striking problem .I just want to know who the hell we are going to bring in 😕
    Got to say it worries me that Pards wanted Bent as well 🙄 .

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  48. Well at least the club got that right. £2m for Bent may be a tad too much in my mind. I think we’ll get Remy – no smoke without fire so why did young Rednapp say it was a done deal?

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  49. @Kim
    I don’t think Pardew has the slightest say in transfers, other than informing what position he needs.

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  51. I honestly believe Kinnear is deliberately stalling these deals or being awkward so that Pardew walks and he can take over. If this happens (I don’t believe it will as I think Pardew knows he is doing this) the fans will go ballistic and Kinnear would need to be ready to be the most hated man in the history of Newcastle United even more so than Gordon McKeag.

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  52. It is never too late for transfers but it would have been nice to get some bodies through the door before pre season to help with the settling in process. I share the views of the this article in the sense that I am concerned and not concerned at the same time.

    We have a decent group of talented players who are capable of finishing in the upper echelons of the league provided that they are on form and injury free, something which was in short supply last term. On the other hand we have little depth to our team which a few injuries will expose; fans saying that we are relegation fodder are way off the mark in my opinion. The players that we purchased in January are of genuine quality and will now be better equipped for the season ahead with a pre season under their belt and more accustomed to the English way of life. There is no doubt that reinforcements are needed and I’m unsure what to make of the speculation linking us with all of these strikers, I’d be happy if we could sign at least two attack minded players but we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

    At present, we’re a mid table team who with a few additions could be a top 8 team. The rest is down Kinnear, Carr and Ashley to find the right players; I personally fail to see what Kinnear contributes to the process but he is here now whether us fans like it or not. Here’s a hoping we’re a few players better off for the big kick off.

    (Apologies for the long post!)

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  53. Agree with your last paragraph Mihesh. My only concern is we’re only linked with out and out strikers, of which we do need one. I’d much prefer a creative type attacker, a real No10 or if we play Benny there then a creative winger. No idea who though.

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  55. It’s frustrating to see the club show a lack of ambition, 52,000 fans week in and week out deserve better than mid table mediocrity. We’re one of the most supported clubs in the country who are being let down by the hierarchy. Forgive my arrogance but that’s just the way that I see it.

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  56. Mihesh @280 Spot on mate .

    Solano @274 According to George Caulkin , Pards and Lambias have been speaking to Villa re Bent for quite some time ,Pards likes him from their time together at Charlton apparently.

    Just for you Solano 😉
    11h
    @CaulkinTheTimes @cognoscentinovo @HanoiToon true. Surely Graham Carr didn’t identify bent as a potential signing?

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    George Caulkin ‏@CaulkinTheTimes 11h
    @332ceders @cognoscentinovo @HanoiToon no, he’s one of Pardew’s. But Llambias said exceptions possible & they viewed Bent as “a deal.”

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  57. A bit more,

    @CaulkinTheTimes 10h
    @332ceders @cognoscentinovo @HanoiToon Pardew wanted to play him No10 – did it for him at Charlton apparently.

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  58. Georgio – I agree mate. I don’t believe JFK is smart enough to be that calculated – I think he’d probably like to be, but he doesn’t know the role well enough to do get it right never mind intentionally **** it up.
    Plus I think if that was happening, the likes of the Lyon president – who’s clearly a vocal fella, who have came out and happily let us all know that that’s why the transfer of Gomis broke down.
    £7m is the right amount for Gomis, more and we are paying too much – so if we’ve walked away coz they wanted more then fair enough.
    £2m for Bent is maybe £1-2m less than I’d expect, but if Fulham are paying £6m then they are the mugs!. £2m for Bent would have been decent business.
    A loan move for Remy is probably sensible based on his pending court case – so long as it comes with an option to buy at a set price of £7-8m.

    So of those transfer, if I’m being honest and fair, there’s not much I can disagree with.
    What I do disagree with is how long it has taken to get to each stage of where we are in these deals. That is down to MA not changing DL and JFK earlier and then JFK deciding to have a week off during the transfer window when players and his assistant needs recruiting.
    That to me shows a lack of urgency, desire, passion, commitment – (whatever you want to call it) on the part of MA and JFK.

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  59. One of the main problems is the fact that Ashley has his fingers in so many pies (pardon the pun) ,I can’t see how he can give Toon all of his attention even if he wanted too. As I understand it he has recently sold off a lot of SD shares to raise capital for a big deal with Tesco. The word in retail is that in some of the Bigger Tesco stores a mezzanine floor will go in which will carry SD merchandise and this is taking up much of his time. Add to this his interest in Rangers and god knows what else and it’s no surprise he has little care for us. There is another scenario worth contemplating which is he may actually be looking to sell us and that’s why small if any outlay is being done and loan deals too. Nothing surprises me anymore with Jabba and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he sold us or hit us with a mega signing ,all the same I won’t hold me breath like.

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  60. Did anyone actually see Redknapp Jr. say that the deal for Remy is done with their own eyes? I keep seeing that rumor, but nobody seems to have actually witnessed it and there’s nothing reported that I’ve seen on any of the usual sites. I have a sense that was just made up out of whole cloth, unless somebody on actually heard him say it.

    Also, IF we get Remy on loan and IF he gets convicted of the charge, what then? Back in to the market in January? How long will that case take.

    And, do we want an (alleged) rapist on the books?

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  61. Fans , Dave saw it I think on SSN

    Remy and that charge is a concern for sure ,we should know more in September as that’s when the CPS will decide whether or not to charge him. There is no court case in sept just the CPS decision like. But yes having a possible rapist on the books doesn’t sit to well if I’m honest ,but lets just wait and see .Hopefully there won’t be a charge to answer to.

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  62. I see QPR have just signed Charlie Austin. That could possibly accelerate Remys departure, to where though who knows.

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  66. Kim – I watched a good thing on BBC the other night about the fall and rise of Swansea City – from the John Toshack days to now. It’s on Iplayer if you get chance to watch it, is really good.
    The reason I mention it is because they have built there success on employing a board of football men who are passionate about the club and the job that they do. They are either Welshmen or ex players.
    Ashley could have as many fingers in as many pies as he likes, leaving Newcastle in safe hands IF he employed the right people to run the club for him.
    The owners of most other clubs have their fingers in many other pies – Man Utd & Liverpool have baseball teams in America or something like that, but what they also have is the best possible people running their football clubs for them. They don’t have faceless business men or crooked old friends with no experience to run their clubs for them.

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  67. if ashley sold newcastle i’d be over the moon 🙂 he can then turn most of his attention to sports direct and making a profit

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  68. joe kinnear and alan pardew might be on low salaries compared to most managers in the premiership ? however if a take over happened they can find a decent manager that knows how to run a club. i could sale us if he really wanted too

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  69. Sharpy ,that’s an excellent point mate .I’ll try and find time to watch Agood thing too if I can. Stripping ,sanding and skimming walls at the mo ,in between posting on here seeing to lew and mum and dad. Talk about jack of all trades 😆 .

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  72. darren bent is going to fulham by the sound of things. remy will probably end up at spurs and gomis is staying with lyon. there’s no rush joe, wouldn’t want you making up a sweat now, would we

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  74. joe’s probably has afternoon naps in his office. dreaming about signing messi for 5 million on a 40k contract and then realises it was just a dream.

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  75. surely after the wonga deal / tv deal we have 8 mil to spend on one signing?. We’re saving on wages for Abeid, Perch, Fergy, Simpson.

    If we havent enuf cash we might as well let Kinnear, Charney and Carr go coz theres no point in recruiting scouts etc 🙄

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