Toon in talks with Tranquillo?

toonsy

Newcastle Alp-ing themselves to this Swiss international?
Newcastle are in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a potential move for Switzerland midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta, if reports in today’s Journal are to be believed.

The Journal “understands” that Newcastle are keen to firm up a long-standing interest in the player by bringing him to St James’ Park as a direct replacement for the seemingly outbound Joey Barton.

However I would exercise caution, like I do with all rumours and “understanding”, and won’t count anything as gospel until something more official appears. As it stands it’s just paper gossip but it would solve one of the problems we have with the squad should Barnetta arrive on the banks of the Tyne.

The 26-year-old scored two goals against England at the back end of last season and drew plaudits for his performance in that game. He’s been capped 59 times for his country and has scored eight goals at international level whilst his club career stats stand at 247 appearances with 37 goals from mainly a right wing position.

Getting in a right winger makes sense, even if it does seemingly have to be at the expense of Joey Barton. We have some brilliant central midfielders and having seen Yohan Cabaye first hand at Leeds I feel confident that he will have no problems adjusting to life in the Premier League alongside Cheik Tiote, which means that the only real place of concern in the middle of the park is that right wing.

What would be better? A central midfielder out on the right? Or a right winger out on the right? Bear in mind that whilst Barton did a brilliant job for us out there for us his assist rate and contribution dried up without Andy Carroll to ping balls to. I’m not muddying Barton here or watering down his contribution, but I do seem to recall people saying that same thing throughout the season.

At the end of the day NUFC have to do something or else we face the very real risk of heading into next season with a weaker squad than the one we finished last season with. Signing someone like Barnetta may inevitably not be the answer, but the player is apparently keen to come and at least it would allow people to make a bit of sense of the whole allowing Joey Barton to go fiasco.

In an ideal world I’d keep Barton and sign Barnetta, but unfortunately it’s not an ideal world.

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.

View all posts by toonsy →

You may like these posts

165 thoughts on “Toon in talks with Tranquillo?”

  1. Lets hope so. Also Shane Long,apparently our scouts have been raving about Long,but we still havn’t made a move.I think at £7.5m it’s a snip for a striker of his ability.

      (Quote)

  2. You also have to consider the fact that allot of Barton’s good delivery came from set pieces, not because he ran past his direct oponent and made a cross… Cabaye seems very astuste at set pieces himself, so with Barton’s behavior in mind, this may be a good move, IF it happens

      (Quote)

  3. You need some “alp” with the puns, seriously.

    Nice article, reckon Barnetta will be a good signing, will give us something different on the right. Does he have a Twitter account by any chance?

      (Quote)

  5. has anyone seen what the chronicle has today? Mark Douglas mentioned last night that there’d be news about strikers in it today….

      (Quote)

  6. well we have sold Routledge and are about to sell barton and ENRIQUE so there will be the space and wages for the next 3 players and i would like to see barnetta one left back and one forward and it will be a good TRANSFER window for me if that happens

      (Quote)

  7. Barnetta would technically be a better lad to have in the squad than Barton, even if he is a lesser player, as we simply need a right winger. Barton did brilliantly there, but his best position is definitely in the centre….but it doesn’t look like he’ll be getting any games there now. Would be nice it true, still, its only the journal.

      (Quote)

  8. would love this story to be true but i just can not see owt posotive happening at the toon at the mo!! great if we could pull it off tho!! barnetta and long i b4 arsenal plz!!

      (Quote)

  10. From my sources in regard to Shane Long is that his mam is very settled in the reading area and is not keen to move so not sure if he will come so far up north.

      (Quote)

  12. Would be very happy to see an actual right winger brought in to play on the right wing! Kind of disappointed that we’re supposedly dragging our feet on Long. We need to grab him before somebody else does because who else is out there for us to bring in?

      (Quote)

  14. I would like to see us take a punt on Jelavic at Rrangers. they are out of Europe struggling financially and don`t think we`ve have to pay a big fee. From what I`ve seen of him worth a chance!

      (Quote)

  15. Indian ocean, I think the news on strikers was that we’re not going for erdinc or long right now. That’s it. Seriously, if it was something big, would u totally believe them anyway?

      (Quote)

  16. @Jonno

    lol its about time he left him mum, any bring her along, Nzog did.

    Be careful tho the Journal like to mix up” In talks ” with – “keen to firm up a long-standing interest”.

    very different..

      (Quote)

  18. Freddie, I don’t think we’ll be getting anyone from the spl right now after pardew’s comments earlier in the summer

      (Quote)

  19. Thats what I said as well Army! But he is very close to his Mam and after his Dad died she moved over to England with him. You have to respect a person who puts family first ( and not just girlfreinds who want to shop in london ) over money. If he does end up signing for us shows he has some character and a good lad looking after his mam!

      (Quote)

  20. dont belive anything from these con men,like all this time spend telling us they where after this french guy and psg have said they havent even had a bid from toon for him,now who do we belive,i know who i belive 👿

      (Quote)

  22. I’m not sure i would sign Barnetta though I wouldn’t complain. Its just I think Jonas can play there, Abeid, Ben Arfa, Marveaux etc can cover the wings.

    I’d like a LB for Jose, the kids deputising, a nippy skillful foward who runs the channels well and has good clever control – with an ability to bring others into play, eye for short skillful passes etc. And finally I’d like CB to play alongside Collo – with Williamson and Taylor deputising.

    Anyone else think that when Hoots was in charged our transfers seemed to be better prioritised in terms of need?

      (Quote)

  23. Howay folks,
    Do you seriously think we are in for either Bernatta or Long for a combined fee of approx £13m ❗

    Pardew (the limp wristed yes man) has already stated that most of the transfer kitty has gone on the “Freebies”.

    This is yet more NUFC spin to appease the dreamers.
    Oh and by the way, apparently we did not even make an offer for Erdinc 👿

      (Quote)

  24. JT aye your reet,can remember a few years back wyn the leap asked his mam if he could move to the toon from bolton as she would would be moveing with him,luckly she said yes and we know how that worked out,the only cup we won for years 😀

      (Quote)

  25. TGS, It is reported that we are after Barnetta and you don’t believe it… It is reported we haven’t even bid for Erdinc and you believe it to be true 😕
    Seems like you only believe what you want to believe mate…. 😀

      (Quote)

  26. STARDUST i agree with you on striker its a nippy skillful guy with pace we need up front,not a big hulk of a put the ball in air type,will we get one i doubt it imo

      (Quote)

  27. Stardust, may I just say that it was very refreshing to see u talking about football. Didn’t that feel good?

    And, yes, our transfers did seem more better prioritized when hoots was in charge, but that’s because there was a big need, and Ashley is just wanting to be in the premier league. Doing well in it is a totally different matter

      (Quote)

  28. what formation we playing next season 4-10-1 😆

    weed need a forward and a LB not another midfielder..

      (Quote)

  29. TGS

    Thought we had agreed a fee for Erdinc and he was just staying to fight for his place as backed up by quotes from his agent?

    Where’s the definitive quotes we hadn’t bid? Or are you just hissyfitting 😆

      (Quote)

  30. Stardust says:
    August 4, 2011 at 10:39

    Yeah under Hughton last year we needed a left back, did we get one?

      (Quote)

  32. Lads i wouldn’t be surprised if the club leaked the Barnetta **** to try to keep the fans quiet. I dont think we need him anyway as Stardy said we have Jonas who is a RW, and anyway he wont score the goals we need to keep us up.
    We need a Striker ASAP, and we’ll need a LB so I wish they would hurry up and get them, there is no excuse we have needed a Striker from Jan and we’re still waiting.

      (Quote)

  34. Hitman, I think we actually do need a right winger. All of our senior players that play on te wing seem to prefer the left. And yes, Jonas can play there, but wouldnt it be nice to have… Wait for it…

    Competition for places!

      (Quote)

  37. If the source that we haven’t even bid for Erdinc is from PSG then maybe its true.
    If the source about Barnetta is from NUFC I think I’ll wait until its official before getting carried away.

      (Quote)

  40. Stardy you are sounding like your mate worky 😀 oh how good things were when Hoots was here, Hoots had that much pull he couldn’t even get a No2 😆

      (Quote)

  46. “They have known all along, what it would take to land Barnetta and what he is earning now, and this sort of offer really does border on ridiculous.”

    the mind boggles

      (Quote)

  47. That skysports story from his agent is just so typical of this board. No respect for anybody else, low-balling like crazy. They’re not even trying. It’s really no wonder we don’t bring players in until the final week of the transfer window because then they finally offer something close to what is reasonably asked for.

    Also, gotta love that part about going behind the agents back. So typical

      (Quote)

  49. Stardy,
    I used the word apparently ❗
    Not hissyfitting, just an old fashioned realist 😉
    Come on hop on the Reality Train, you know you want too, go on 😆

      (Quote)

  52. “LukeEdwardsTele Luke Edwards
    @
    @CaulkinTheTimes do you think the agent was annoyed he’d been cut out the loop by any chance? Seems they spoke to another agent not him!”

    Exactly what I was thinking.

    He must have a German representative as well and I reckon that’s who the toon went to.

    Either that or they got Joey Barton to DM him on Twitter! 😆

      (Quote)

  53. Big Dave, barnetta’s agent says we did put in an offer but offered lower wages than he is already on. He actually said it was ridiculous and that they went behind his back about it

      (Quote)

  54. Id be surprised if he was on 40k a week in the bundesliga seems a lot, The agent really means is theres not a hope in hell without me getting a hefty cut of the deal.

    Also dont believe the guff from psg that we never bid for erding, Marseille did the same thing about thirty times last summer when we were trying to sign ben arfa…

      (Quote)

  55. Sounds like the agent has the dirts on with us…F*ckin agents, it is a bit rich that one of them is having a dig about being despicable 😯

      (Quote)

  56. Yeah toon chicken it makes you laugh at what average footballers are earning.Remember Ashley Cole saying he was physically sick when Arsenal only offered him £80k a week.

      (Quote)

  58. hitman

    August 4, 2011 at 11:02

    how can you offer a lad less wages than he is on to come here
    >>>Because the club are not seriously interested in him, it’s a ruse to appease the dreamers 😆

      (Quote)

  59. If you believe what has just been reported by sky sports NUFC have offered the player less than hes getting in Germany so he aint coming his uk rep says he’s furious with NUFC. I think that sums up our transfer policy well, offer good players less money to come and play at the laughing stock of the premiership I am surprised weve managed to get any players at all
    Sky sports at 10.50am

      (Quote)

  60. Hitman thats par for the course mate atleast they can say ‘ well we tried to get Barnetta’
    The club must think we’re all stupid

      (Quote)

  62. TGS,all the pieces are strarting to fit together,from ex players to current players comming out saying there low balling on contracts,now we have barrnetas agent coming out.. 😆 but then again hes just an upset agent 🙄

      (Quote)

  63. I’m assuming we were given permission by his club to talk to him if wages have been mentioned or are we now tapping up players?

      (Quote)

  64. Impressed that they’ve offered him £40k a week but I cannot believe they’ve offered him less than he is already on… 😯

    Although it would appear his agent isn’t happy about being cut out. 🙂

      (Quote)

  68. @61 i certianly hope he isn’t as we’ll be in a bigger mess than we are now, who would come in JFK??

      (Quote)

  69. How come people are taking what agents say as gospel these days? 😳

    For what it’s worth I don’t believe either the club or agent so the truth is probably somewhere in the middle 😆

      (Quote)

  70. I also keep hearing about how Pardew should resign…… Who would we get to replace him bearing in mind the new guy would have to work under exactly the same kind of restrictions as Pardew has to currently…

      (Quote)

  71. Steven be careful what you wish for JFK is waiting to get back to work.

    Hitman offcourse its all the players faults for being greedy bastads because they are askin for the big wages that prem players get, it’s not the Fatmans fault 😆

      (Quote)

  72. agents are lying thiefing blood-suckers,would i belive him before our honest men at the toon,yes of course i would 😉

      (Quote)

  74. We offered the lad less to come here. Im embarassed to be an NUFC at the moment. Fckin embarassed. The inbreds must be pissing themeselves at us…

      (Quote)

  75. someone who doesnt owe ashley cash has a clue about tactics doesnt lose matches with stupid substitutions and actually cares about NUFC lee clark would be a good starting point

      (Quote)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *