The 18-year-old former Lens prospect has penned a five year deal at the club and will go straight into the reserves where he will work with Peter Beardsley who, by all accounts, is not a bad person for a budding midfielder with a few tricks up his sleeve to learn from. It also seems that Pedro is looking forward to working with the youg’un.
“We are delighted bring Mehdi to the Club,” Beardsley told the official club website. “He is a bright, young talent and we think he has an exciting future ahead of him.”
“After an impressive trial with us earlier in the year, I’m looking forward to working with Medhi and developing his talent.”
The deal had been mooted right at the start of the summer although, as should be customary with all transfer news, I personally refused to believe it until it was confirmed by the club. Now it has been, welcome to Newcastle, Mehdi.
Take a look at Mehdi in action:
From that video he certainly looks like he has some talent out on that right wing. A couple of nice tricks and a few long passes aswell as a good work rate are what I managed to take from that. If he can keep that up then he’ll go far. Mind you, it’s only a YouTube video of his best bits, so we haven’t seen what he is like at his worst or how he reacts when things don’t go for him.
He’s got plenty of time to show us though!
Moreno
Posted July 1, 2011 at 10:20 AM
I don’t think we are repaying the debt though. Ashley has said he doesn’t want it back now and the club keep saying he’s never taken a penny out of the club. I was replying to toonsy’s point about the money maybe being used for debt repayment – which it onbviously isn’t.
Stuart79(Quote)
Was there not alot of work done to upgrade the training ground and the pitch at SJP? Now i know that dosnt cost that much but surely that can only be good in the long term. We seem to be looking towards the future more which is good imo.
@75
I think thats what pardew is hoping for. I dont care how much our signings cost as long as they are good quality players.
Santii(Quote)
Another young player with potential signed on a free, excellent business. Now, how about adding some quality and experience to the first team Mike? I’ll not hold my breath.
“Walking along, singing a song, walking in an Ashley Poundland”
neiln(Quote)
I don’t think all of our debt is to Ashley, though. We still have an overdraft with Barclays that needs paying off, for starters. Interest payments on that debt will need to be met too. Agreed, there’s little hurry to pay back the fat man and I would be upset if we were asset stripping to facilitate that.
My understanding is that we have other sources of debt too.
blip(Quote)
Does it matter how much we spend on transfer fees? Surley if we get the players that see us through the season, that’s progress I’d say!
Rather than focus on the club’s debts to Ashley (at 0% it’s worth noting), has the £20m bank overdraft been cleared and if so, one must wonder where the money came from. The tooth fairy I suppose?
lesh(Quote)
Ah blip, you beat me to the punch re the external debt!
😉
lesh(Quote)
lesh
Posted July 1, 2011 at 11:09 AM
Maybe it might have been cleared with a chunk of the extra £50m income the club recieved for our first season abck in the PL?
Stuart79(Quote)
Anyhow, Luke Edwards (Journo, not an IDK ****) on Twitter:
“I was looking at the spending yesterday, club keen to stress £35m being used to pay wages of new players, not just fees!
“and that they never said it would all be spent this summer. Signing on fees also needed, but it seems plenty of £35m left
“I suspect there is going to be a bit of “tension” surrounding this issue. Fans expected £35m to be spent on transfer fees”
blip(Quote)
Just had a look to see if I was on the Times Financial blog.
Toonale(Quote)
Morning all.
Banging hangover today after Keegans talk in.
It started off great. Huge venue, a marquee the size of a football pitch with 1100 guests and my table was right next to the stage. My timing could not have been better, as just as I was entering the marquee, a certain Mr Keegan was doing the same! Within a few seconds a picture of Keegan and myself were downloaded onto my Facebook . I think Keegan did the same with his photo as well!!
Anyway, having scoffed a cracking 4 course meal, a gallon of beer, I was ready and looking forward to the great man speak.
How disappointed I was when he performed a power point presentation that quite frankly contained nothing that I hadn’t heard before. It was interspersed with the occasional famous moments, about being on the steps when Andy Cole was sold, however every issue was skimmed over and you were left with a feeling of wanting to know more.
The whole hour was highly polished and every word rehearsed. I remember thinking half way through, wishing he would hurry up and move straight onto the Q&A session.
They always say, be careful what you wish for.
Sure enough, just as I was losing the will to live, seriously, that’s how disappointed I was, the power point came to an end and the host announced Keegan would take answers from the floor.
Great, now we in business and I had the 3 questions you gave me yesterday rehearsed better than Keegan did his act. 😆
He answered one question which was short and sweet and for the life of me I can’t recall what it was. 😳
The second question was on the subject of Mike Ashley and he refused to answer, stating he was legally forbidden to answer any questions relating to him.
And guess what. That was the end of the Q&As!
1 question answered! 🙄 😯 😯
Absolutely gutted!
I forgot to mention that between meal courses I collared him again and obtained his personal email address as I convinced him to consider doing a charity talk in at my place of work.
Sorry I’m not full of his anecdotes, personal opinions of the regime, the club and his thoughts for the future but unfortunately he never gave them! 😥
I got more out of Steve Wraith in the 10 minutes I spoke to him than KK.
I will tell you the craic about his thoughts on the wage cap and why he said what he did. His reaction to me telling him he wasnt liked by many on this blog and his pseudonym that he uses on here!!!! 😯
For another post tho. 😯
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
We lost £17m Champ season AFTER player expenditure (£33m before). Our wages were 90% of turnover. That season was the 4th heavy loss in 5 years.
http://www.fcbusiness.co.uk/news/article/newsitem=1066/title=newcastle+united+reduce+operating+losses+despite+relegation
People who question where the money has gone need only look at the black hole that is our finances.
Although, to be fair, the bank overdraft of £40m or so does seem to be the only debt not payable to Ashley nowadays (http://swissramble.blogspot.com/2010/12/newcastle-uniteds-finances-in-black-and.html)…
blip(Quote)
Good effort Bobby.
Shame about the Q&A though…
Moreno(Quote)
An interesting consideration would be how much we would have expected to have been made available if Carroll hadn’t been sold….we would have hoped for up to 12, maybe 15 maybe….I haven’t seen many discussions about the 35 plus what we might have wanted anyhow! 🙂
Sydney Toon(Quote)
Well done BSN9. well worth the try.
Premandup(Quote)
bobby….did you not say you’d put your **** in Fenwicks window if you couldn’t get him to answer all your questions? 😉 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Stuart – expect the debt to be coming down in the next accounts. Put it that way 😉
toonsy(Quote)
@Richie
I’ve threatened that now so many times, Fenwicks have sent me a warning via their legal team. 😆
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
@Richie
I’m determined to be proven wrong once just so I can do it!! It’s harder for me than you think tho!!
😛
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Bobby, I’m pretty sure that Moreno predicted that KK would be looking for an early escape route yesterday.. 😯
Moreno, what are the lotto numbers this weekend!! 😀
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
sick of all this accounts ****,i never expected ashley to spend owt,as long as we improve a fair bit no-matter how we get good players in,being a toon fan for many years i only ever expect a little, that way you dont get your end knocked in 🙁
could be worse i could have been born a mackem
divent care much for the scum dvd on there history; 100 greatest throw-ins 😀
icedog(Quote)
bobby 😆
richietoon(Quote)
anyway we can’t prove you wrong as you’ll just “adjust your original thoughts” 😉 😆
richietoon(Quote)
35mil…
So that money will be spent on tranfer fees, wages agent fees over the next few years..
Did they not plan on spending anything the window we made a R35mil profit?
The wages saved from Carroll? Campbell? Nolan? Where does that money go? If you look at it. We still havn’t spent a cent…
JJ(Quote)
icedog
Posted July 1, 2011 at 12:07 PM
“divent care much for the scum dvd on there history; 100 greatest throw-ins”
😆 😆 😆
toonsy(Quote)
toonsy
Posted July 1, 2011 at 11:54 AM
Stuart – expect the debt to be coming down in the next accounts. Put it that way
But you don’t know that, toonsy. Llambias is quoted as saying that ALL the Carroll money would stay in the club – if they paid a loan back with it, it would be leaving the club.
The debt has never been an issue before, why all of a sudden is it being used as an excuse not to spend any money?
If their paying off the debt with it, tell us so we can expect the Enrique money to do the same and we wouldn’t be surprised to see Tiote go or any other good players we have.
After all paying the debt off and having a fantastically healthy balance sheet is more important than winning anything…
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart – It seems as though they only ant to get the debt down to what it was (£111 million). Why that though, pass 😕
toonsy(Quote)
Aussie 😆
Incidentally, last weekend I got three normal numbers and both the bonus balls in the lottery.
Odds were 15000/1 !!!!!
Tickets cost 2 quid and how much did I get back?
£29.10 !!
Biggest scam going
Moreno(Quote)
He still looks like he has a way to go before he is the finished article but wouldn’t hurt throwing him in a few pre-season games to check him out and then maybe in some cup games. I hope to get to Darlo so maybe get to see him then. Looks like he has some dribbling skills and good backheel and passing ability.
DJG(Quote)
From the signings we have made so far under Carr 3 are players who like to take people on and 3 are players with good technical and passing/shooting ability.
I like this direction we are going in, the new Barcelona ❓ 🙂
DJG(Quote)
hopefully the lad will shine in reserves and come through(and ive got a sneeky feeling beardsly will let him through ……!)anyway canny journalist stuff for us to chew on….hehe…5 year deal!!!!!!bloomin hell!!..why dont we just sign all the french reserve players!!!!!(we have enough young tallent comming through) i recon its frogs legs for tea tonite lads!!!!
john(Quote)