Silly season has well and truly begun. No end of names are being linked with summer moves to Newcastle United following our promotion back the the Premier League.
With Benitez and Ashley singing from the same hymn sheet (for now at least!) we are preparing for life back in the top flight and are expected to be as busy as anyone this summer in order to build a side capable of competing at Premier League level.
By my reckoning, well over 50 players have been linked with the club already and it’s not even June yet!
So, to bring some order to proceedings, here’s 3 players I believe Newcastle will sign this summer (partly my hunch and partly justified by their current circumstances).
Tom Cairney
It has been widely reported that Rafa Benitez is a big fan of the Fulham midfielder, who’s enjoyed a sparkling season in the Championship, notching an impressive 13 goals and 11 assists.
We lack forward thinking players (which was made abundantly clear whenever Shelvey was absent last season) and Tom Cairney looks to be just that. He looks a confident and competent footballer capable of the step up.
Cairney is understood to be keen on a move according to the Chronicle. It’s not hard to see why, given Fulham were knocked out of the play offs and set for another year in the Championship. At 26 i’d also imagine he’s keen to secure a move to the top flight while he has the chance.
Fulham will be in no mood to sell, with an extortionate fee of £20m mooted, but I believe Cairney will push for a move and a fee in the region of £12-£14m will be agreed to bring him to Tyneside this summer.
Andre Gray
Newcastle are in the hunt for a ‘proven’ Premier League goalscorer this summer, and whilst Gray’s recent 9 goal haul does in no way make him proven, he’s shown promising signs in his debut season in the league with Burnley.
With just 12 months on his contract, this is the exact sort of player Newcastle could target this summer. Good age (25), the traits of a capable Premier League player (pace, energy, athletic) and likely to be available at a reasonable fee – with Burnley hardly in a position of power, being reluctant to lose him on a free next summer.
Englishmen in the Premier League often come with inflated price-tags (and Mike Ashley won’t be keen on paying over the odds), but Gray’s current contractual situation lends itself to a knock-down fee for United, with a £10-£12m fee being reported (a steal in today’s market for a promising English Premier League striker in their mid 20’s).
He has rejected a new contract with Burnley and, if local reports are to be believed, is open to the possibility of a move to Tyneside this summer.
Whilst Benitez’s project at Newcastle is very much work in progress, you struggle to see how Burnley could surpass the superb season they’ve just had, combined with the Rafa factor and the the prospect of a 50,000 crowd likely to appeal to him (like it did for Ritchie last summer).
Harry Maguire
Possibly the most ambitious of the three given his impressive displays last season, but one I believe we may just pull off.
Harry Maguire has been a revelation at Hull last season, being a huge part of their re-birth under Marco Silva that nearly saw them beat the drop. Benitez is believed to have identified the heart of our defence as an area for improvement and Maguire is a player he’s understood to be a big fan of according to several local reports.
With Hull City relegated, Maguire will be keen to play Premier League football again next season after looking at home in the division over recent months.
He’s a big unit but looks surprisingly capable & confident on the ball, also showing promising leadership qualities in Hull’s commendable attempt to beat the drop over the run-in. At 24 years of age he also has room to develop under the watchful eye of Rafa Benitez.
A right-sided centre-back who ticks a lot of boxes in terms of what we require alongside Ciaran Clark next season.
Spurs and Everton have been credited with an interest, which if genuine would scupper our hopes, but I believe both clubs could opt for more ambitious targets this summer, which could see us get our man.
Thanks Olly, yes I’d agree that we seem to be quite close to those 3, particularly Tom Cairney and of the 3 I think I’d rather him than the other 2… let’s see… silly season indeed! ?
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Olly – yeah I’d give credence to first 2 (Cairney & Gray). I think Maguire could end up at Leicester personally.
I think the Spanish lads with buyout clauses (Pires & Sandro) could be players we are looking at too.
For some reason I think Tom Ince could be a real possible too.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Nutmag – sorry the predictive txt kicked in on the last article.
I’m not sure your question on the last article is genuine or not?!.
How far would I expect the security to be?. Well certainly covering the main enterance & exit of a venue hosting thousands of people, that’s for sure!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Thanks Olly, I can see Tom and Harry arriving but if i am honest i’m not thrilled by the prospect of Grey at all. We need better than that imo.
kimtoon(Quote)
Tom and Harry covered, how about a ****? John Terry is looking for another club.
(that was NOT sexual innuendo BTW).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Kim – I know what you mean, but I don’t mind the Gray deal. If we were talking £20m, I’d want to see if spent better than that. But if we get Gray for around the £12m mark, then I don’t think that’s a bad buy personally. I reckon he’d be getting us 10-15 goals a season for that money.
But yeah, I’d still want a 15+ goal scorer – but they are in short supply & cost an awful lot of money.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Agree. Security is slack at these places. The times we live in do not justify a skeleton security crew with little or no search equipment on the entrance doors.
shamrock(Quote)
Nice one Eric 😆
Olly cheers for the thread. I would definitely take Cairney and Maguire. Not sure about Grey but will obviously trust Rafa’s judgement if he comes in. Not convinced on Rafas judgement regarding Jesus and that left back mind!
shamrock(Quote)
Yes I agree with your three but would be happy if Grey costs a max of 10 mil as I think there is better,
So Big Sam throws the towel in at C/P strange one that one,going back to Scum then??
Icedog(Quote)
Ice – didn’t see the fat Sam walk out coming like ?.
I can understand Moyes throwing it in. But would fat Sam really go back to Sunderland in the Championship in the state they are in?!.
China maybe?!
Sharpy17(Quote)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40021308
shamrock(Quote)
Ice: I wrote a long post yesterday saying that we were probably the most attractive club outside of the top 7 as only Rafa, BFS and Howe were likely to be safe and why would a decent player go to a club likely to be in turmoil? The other thing is that the players named in this piece would either not be attractive to the op 6 or go there to sit on the bench.
Still shocked BFS left. I just said about an hour ago that I thought 3 managers would be gone by the start of the season and 6 by Christmas.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Got a suspicion Toad of Toad Hall left because of transfer funds. But Palace gave Pards a shed load of money and then BFS was the biggest spender in January only to still barely escape relegation. The cupboard was bare.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
http://mobi.supersport.com/football/premier-league/scorers
Top scorers in the EPL this season. Only Josh King who scorer over 15 goals that you wouldn’t maybe expect in there, and would maybe cost less than £25m.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Eric – yeah I reckon that could well be it. I reckon he will have wanted to make the Sakho deal permanent, but with Lpool wanting £30m, Palace will have said bollocks to that!!. Sell to buy fatty & fatty said bye.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Bilic is a dead man walking. Hughes and Puel are 50/50 at best and Pulis has a history of walking if not backed. Any of the bottom 13 except NUFC could sack their Manager if they are in the bottom 2 after 10 games.
You never know what will happen at the top either because 6 into 4 doesn’t go. But who would be the alternatives? They already have 6 of the most successful managers of the last 10 years. Even Wenger won FA Cups and was in the CL.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The Jay Rodriguez rumour seems to have gone quiet, with a lot more links to foreign wingers (particularly French ones) which I’m a bit disappointed with personally.
Sharpy17(Quote)
This will finally be the year that Wayne Rooney is not the face of English football. I know he was Captain of Man U and England but every, EVERY, article about either had his ugly mug on it even though he has been **** for at least 3 years.
Even when he wasn’t playing, his would be the first face on any article. 15 years of Wayne on the front and back page and on every, yes EVERY article, whether it was about him or not, is enough.
Just looked at The Mail build-up article and he was front and centre in training although there is not a cat in hells chance he will start.
Hopefully, this will be my last Rooney rant (unlikely). He might come on as sub and THAT will be a story. If he sits the whole game, THAT will be a story. If it is his last game THAT will be a story. If some stupid Chinese team pays him 500k a week to hawk their shirts, THAT will be a story.
He isn’t going away is he. Even from China he will stink up the back pages like a carton of 2 week old General Tso Chicken you forgot was at the back of the fridge.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Told you it wouldn’t be my last word, because it is very ironic that I am complaining about people talking about Ronney when I am ranting about Rooney on an NUFC website 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I just want him gone from my life.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sorry SHARPY you’ve lost your cash,Defoe agrees three yr deal at 130,000 a week for B/mouth,you can bloody have him for that sort of money,no wonder Rafa went no where near him
Icedog(Quote)
Well I like him ?
Sharpy17(Quote)
shocked at BFS leaving CP, never saw that coming.
Good wad for his age that
kimtoon(Quote)
I see N.Ranger has been given eight months in the slammer bloody crook
Icedog(Quote)
total scumbag mate
kimtoon(Quote)
Ice – I shall never see that quid again mate ?. Maybe I could ask Defoe to cover it for not going to WH ?.
That’s mad money & Bmth seem to be intent on signing old boys this season – aren’t they after Terry as well?! … anyone got Sol Campbell’s number?
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: my point was more about the press obsession. I never thought they would surpass their all things Beckham, but they did.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ice: I read something yesterday that there was a fear that this very good Spurs team would be broken up as they have a salary structure with a cap of 70k a week. There were some platitudes about it being a solid group and them wanted to stay together because they thought they were on the cusp of creating something special. Then you see Defoe on 130k a week and you think no way, not a hope in hell. Harry Kane wins 2 golden boots and scores more on his own this year than both Sunderland and Boro scored as a team. Yes he is “one of their own” but, c’mon. I think that that Wayne Rooney gets paid canny whack as well.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Aye this could stuff a few clubs up it is silly money mate,hate to rub salt in the wound but Rooney is said to be on 220,000 a week 😈
Icedog(Quote)
Here’s a bit of easy maths for you.
Bournemouth’s ground holds 11,464
Season Tickets average about 600 pounds (frozen for this year)
11,464 x 600 = 6,878,400
Jermaine Defore will make 130,000 a week
130,000 x 52 = 6,760,000
ALMOST ALL BOURNMOUTH’s HOME GATE RECEIPTS ARE PAID TO DEFOE 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Instead of having turnstiles at the Vitality Stadium they should have hollow statues of Defoe with a giant gaping mouth at each gate. People could just stuff twenties and tens into it and save Bournemouth the cost of printing season tickets.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – I’m only messing mate. I think he deserves credit for his scoring record (though I know you have issues with that too ?). But you are right, the media have turned it into a right love in.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Eric – there is a real chance the Spurs team get pulled apart mate. I think that’s why Walker, Rose and Dier look likely to. They are entering the last year of their contracts on £65k and the likes of Man Utd are offering to at least double it ?. If they sell those players I can see Ali thinking ‘sod this’ won nowt yet and nee ambition if they are selling their better players (plus he’s best mates with Dier). If a ‘big’ team come sniffing I can see him being off.
Where does that then leave the likes of Kane and Erikssen?!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
😆 😆
shamrock(Quote)
Sharpy: would be interesting if Walker is the first domino. Could end up the irresistible force against the immovable object because Levy doesn’t sell cheap. I can’t imagine what he would ask for Kane and Alli with the English premium added.
Shows you though that we can probably attract any ‘best of the rest” foreign player we want coz the Manchesters etc cannot, and will not, buy them all.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – I don’t think they’ll mind loosing Walker too much as Trippier is a decent enough replacement for him. To an extent Rose won’t be missed too much either.
I think Dier is the one that could bring the house of cards tumbling down.
If that were to happen & Kane & Ali were to leave – this is the guy that got £80m for Bale – so both would be over £100m for sure.
But if he starts letting those players go, Poch will not hang round either. They will go backwards at a rate of knots I reckon.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Oh and with everything that happened in Manchester, news that has been overlooked a bit – Sir Roger Moore has passed away ?.
RIP 007.
Sharpy17(Quote)
R.I.P Roger Moore
Stem(Quote)
£19.5m for Defoe man?!?!?!?!!!
Sharpy17(Quote)
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=the+persuaders+theme&spf=1495613028669
How i loved watching Tony and Sir Roger back then
RIP Sir Roger
kimtoon(Quote)
😯 😆 😆 Really, at his age , great striker but will start getting motre and more injuries soon
kimtoon(Quote)
Olly – I really hope you’re totally wrong mate. I wouldn’t want any of those three named and hopefully Rafa won’t either. I know we’re still listed as being in the Championship on Newsnow but we’re not. We need better players than those three. In fact we have them already.
georgio(Quote)
Atsu signed permanently now. Worth it for £6.5m. I’m sure he has improvement in him.
Stuart79(Quote)
Lets hope so Stuart
Premandup(Quote)
The Daily Mirror journo who said Defoe would be earning 130k a week came out 2 hours later and said it is 65k.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Still doesn’t mean Spurs’ salary cap will work when you have the yardstick of Jesse Lingard earning 100k a week. If I was the Agent of any of the Spurs players negotiating new contracts I would take a piece of A4 with a lifesize pic of Lingards face on it into the meeting.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And… I bet when the teamsheet is announced today at least a few of the tabloids’ (and maybe TV) lead story will be that Rooney does not start. Then they will move on to the actual team that was selected.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And I have been reliably informed that on 10 minutes (Roo’s shirt number is 10) Ajax have been instructed to kick the ball out of play. Whereupon a guard of honour consisting of his Agent, David Moyes and Mr. Roy Hodgson will be formed to usher Wayne from the Subs Bench into the stands.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Back to NUFC! Does Townsend have a buyout clause at Palace? I think that is the only way we get him, and I don’t particularly blame him for not wanting to play in The Championship.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I should do a George Costanza and do the opposite of what my gut tells me – put a fiver on Rooney to score the winning goal (I don’t even think he will get on the pitch).
Anyway, I am 50/50 here because the Mancs are English and because it might cheer up the city but Mourinho has been a total miserable c@nt all year.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Just heard the comment from the comentator of Rooney as peacemaker, thought of you Eric
Simon(Quote)
Over 50 players linked! I’m surprised; it seemed more.
Those club insiders are working overtime to keep the press informed of what’s going on.
Brisvegas(Quote)
And that’s just the half of it Bris! Two more months of this to run. Apart from a couple of unattainables I’ve not seen a link that looked in any way realistic. The three that Olly’s named are no upgrades on what we have already.
georgio(Quote)
The Star are at it now with a link to Carvalho (no chance) at £39m. Would love him to come but never in a million years!
georgio(Quote)
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/brighton-newcastle-given-permission-talk-75113
kimtoon(Quote)
the only reason he would chose Brighton over us is its closer to the smoke,unless Atu has a word in his ear
icedog(Quote)
well Erics friend Rooney has been dropped from England game with Scotland
icedog(Quote)
Waiting for him to “retire” after being dropped. Southgate must have seen how Mr. Roy let Rooney run the show and must know that would undermine his own authority (although I didn’t agree with his appointment). Time to move on now.
There is the nucleus of a decent team with the Spurs players and Butland, although I won’t be predicting a World Cup win. Hello Troy!!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
They are showing live pictures of Manchester on the news and it is interesting to see that there seem to be hundreds of people at the memorial. I don’t know what this says but I remember the Paris bombings were shown here and the Parisians mostly stayed off the streets. In Brussels there was a police curfew. I don’t want to get all political but it does seem there is a different reaction in Britain to the same sort of atrocity. More resistance and push back from the general public?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Kim -Abrahams has scored a lot of goals. Guess he’s highly rated in Bristol?
Apparently Brighton are favourites – get Atsu to talk to him and offer more money!
georgio(Quote)
On Olly’s article on Timmy-the-hoof, I still can’t work out if the hoofing was because Krul wasn’t comfortable with his own passing game or whether he had no-one to pass to. None of our central defenders looked for the ball, even Coloccini. Then there were Taylor and Williamson who actively avoided the ball. If there wasn’t anybody to take the ball then he had no alternative but to hit it long, but was that his nature anyway, one playing off the other?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
When Williamson and Colo were in the team the default when Colo received the ball deep in our half was for Williamson to point back at Krul for the backpass, actively avoiding the ball, and for Krul to belt it slightly beyond the centre circle where the other team’s 2 centre halfs would be waiting to nod it back.
Was that personnel, Timmy, bad coaching by Pards and Ugly John or a combination? Either way, the opposition knew what to expect. Going back to that is not an option so maybe it is best we cut ties with Krul?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
There’s an awful lot of anger here Eric, people fed up with platitudes and think it’s time to round up all suspected of links to Islamic extremism and deport them. Not sure what the answer is personally, but I do know we must not brand an entire religion and it’s people with the actions of the few nutters,
kimtoon(Quote)
Yeah, City would love to keep him .
kimtoon(Quote)
Agree Ice, it’s nice in Brighton too, especially if they show him around this week with all this nice sunshine 🙄
kimtoon(Quote)
Miles Starforth @milesstarforth · May 24
More
Understand Andros Townsend is (again) a target for Newcastle this summer. Palace not looking to sell. http://bit.ly/2qfAXec #nufc #cpfc
Well I hope we don’t spend all summer window chasing the unobtainable again .
kimtoon(Quote)
I don’t know how I feel about the Abrahams link. No doubt he’s a talent, but I’m guessing the offer is a loan?.
If it comes with an option to buy as Atsu did then I’m all for that. If not, then we need to be looking to strengthen our squad – not Chelseas
Sharpy17(Quote)
Chelsea won’t sell Abrahams so it’s a loan. Maybe Rafa is looking at building slowly with loans and as we improve we can buy more better players. Only reason I can think of that it’s a loan.
Stuart79(Quote)
Well now Monk throws the towel in at Leeds after one season it’s a hard lge the ccc it tests the best of managers,
Navas on a free from M/City would have been a canny buy,but I suppose Atu in now so it will be a no- go
Icedog(Quote)
Chelsea turned down an offer for a talented young Brazilian in favour of developing Abraham, but said he needs another year. I am all for a couple of loans and the better players they are the better it is for us.
Next season is all about consolidation and replenishing the coffers. Ashley said that Rafa and Charnley can have all of the money NUFC generates. That means it will have to be self sustaining and he will not loan money. We need to pay for the lost season in the Championship and then get some TV and sponsorship money in. I think this is why high quality loans are important now but longer term we should be buying players and not developing those of Chelsea and Man City.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ice: they have also made Nolito available. If we could afford his wages he would be someone I would go for. His agent is talking to Athletico though.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I see City have released Navas and Sagna. Any interest here?
Stuart79(Quote)
https://twitter.com/ChronicleNUFC/status/867802449704361985
kimtoon(Quote)
Then I just see it as risk with little reward if there is no option to buy. Yeah he did great in the CCC last season but no guarantees he can cut it in the PL – hence Chelsea wanting to loan him out.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Not for me like. I’d prefer Maguire or I quite like Callum Chambers from Arsenal (who did well at Boro this season)
Sharpy17(Quote)