There is a real feel good factor with NUFC at the moment, which is refreshing to see. Safety is all but secured after another fine win, this time at 2016 champions Leicester City. Naturally, with safety then comes focus on the summer, where much remains up in the air.
Linked to all this is the future of talented on loan Brazilian Kenedy, who has been key to our revival.
Last night, Sky Sports revealed that Bayern, PSG and a ‘number of Premier League clubs’ now want to be notified if Chelsea decide to sell him. With this in mind, where do things stand with a potential permanent stay on Tyneside for the left winger?
The big boys are circling – bad news for several reasons
Report surfaced at the weekend that Bayern, PSG and a ‘number of Premier league clubs’ now tracking him. Now, we all know to take paper talk with a pinch of salt but if true, it is bad news for several reasons. It certainly lifts his price (even if they don’t end up pursuing him), it could turn his head as they’re much bigger clubs, and it could also make Chelsea think he is better served back in their own first team. The problem with loan players doing so well is you lose control of their future and the better he does, the harder it will be to keep Kenedy.
Bayern Munich, Paris St Germain and a number of Premier League clubs keeping tabs on in-form Newcastle loanee Kenedy. https://t.co/Rrbk6S28l1
— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) April 9, 2018
Impact made
One thing that isn’t up for debate is how good he has been for Newcastle in such a short space of time. He was excellent again on Saturday and he has surprised me; when signed I fully expected him to be raw, temperamental, inconsistent and to play left back not left wing. Instead, he has been providing consistent quality from his left foot, he’s put in a shift, getting stuck in and showing a lovely mix of flair and fight.
For a 22-year-old he looks a real prospect. He seems to enjoy playing for Newcastle too and after not playing regularly for Chelsea is final thriving. One issue is, the more he impresses for us, the less likely I feel we are to sign him. That’s the nature of the beast.
oh behave, Kenedy. #NUFC #CFC #LoanWatch pic.twitter.com/YE27uWQQT7
— amadí (@amadoit__) April 9, 2018
Out of our price range under Ashley?
The biggest concern I have as always with Newcastle is whether we will actually pay the fee to make it happen. I fully expect him to cost more than our £18m transfer record if Chelsea were willing to let him go – history suggests Ashley wouldn’t pay that.
Signing the likes of Kenedy, whether it is new owners or Ashley, will be exactly the type of thing Rafa will need if we are to convince him to stay. Kenedy could be a key figure in the power battle off the pitch, as takeover talk will no doubt continue to heat up now we are pretty much safe.
How we can persuade him to stay
Finally, one key thing to remember is he has not played a lot of football, so he’s loving life playing week in week out at Newcastle (and he said as much in a recent interview). He’d surely be wise enough to know that it’s most likely he’d slip back into a reserve or bench-warming role for a big Champions League team? He should realise that right now, Rafa and NUFC is the ideal place for his development.
Scouting and interest in young players is natural for the likes of PSG/Bayern but let’s not forget that a few months ago he was best known for failing during a loan spell at Watford and struggling to ever make it into Chelsea’s team (other than the odd cup appearance). He hasn’t delivered consistently; I’m not actually convinced that a top club will come forcing their way through for him – yet. Still, he’s looked very good and this will have hiked up his price tag, but with Rafa to tempt him and potential new owners, it could happen.
What price would you pay for Kenedy? And do you think he would stay?
I think we have a decent chance of signing Kenedy because Chelsea do not promote from within, especially as they will have a new Manager who will want assurances of spending on his players to assure an immediate bounce. They will also not sell to their close rivals in the PL (after the flak they got for Matic) which leaves very few teams he could go to and be happy – maybe us, Everton, Leicester and West Ham.
PSG have Di Maria, Neymar, MBappe and Draxler and will have a new Manager. Same with Bayern who will want to make a splash for a new Manager and usually buy any good player from their Bundesliga rivals anyway. I do not think that 6 games at NUFC makes Kenedy a big enough fish for any of these teams although the speculation may drive the price up.
Just spend the Mitro money on him and be done with it. If the Mad Serb scores at the World Cup we will get 30 million for him.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
If we have new owners and some ambition then why not? Could be exciting times. If we still have Jabba then I doubt he will be a permanent signing.
Stuart79(Quote)
Why is anybody surprised that Ashley wants his original valuation? Kimtoon thought he was never serious in the first place. I thought he was serious but at his price. I have mentioned a few times that I thought these finance professors were idiots with their 225 million valuation. All they had to do is look at Southampton having 80% sold for 250 million. Or look at Spurs spending 1 billion on a new ground and Liverpool 250 million on a new stand.
Then the only competition is being removed when Stoke get relegated. Apart from them there is nobody else to buy unless you want to gamble on a Championship team.
We are a 1 club City. Now we are almost a 1 club region stretching up to the borders and down to Boro. If you are a kid growing up in Washington or Durham are you going to wear black and white or red and white stripes now?
Simple supply and demand means Ashley was closer to the real valuation than the professors – as long as we stayed in the PL. Add to that TV exposure and you have the most visible team outside the top 6. We are on TV here in the US for about half of our games.
We are perfect for a dirty Oligarch wanting to wash their money, or an egomaniacal Sheikh or Sovereign Wealth wanting to put their cash somewhere and take the focus off their human rights record. Buying a Sports Team in the US has long been a way for the super rich to spend their money, stroke their ego and make even more money. Hell, Facebook and Amazon are looking for content, so why not. It is probably too early for them, but this is also a well trodden road. Murdoch tried to buy the LA Dodgers to get a foothold in baseball.
I actually think the Fatman would be mad to sell at this time. Give Rafa everything NUFC generates and see if he can establish us in the PL again and make us the best of the rest.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
You may think it far fetched for Amazon to be interested in NUFC but I live in Chicago. The Chicago Tribune Company, a newspaper and TV conglomerate, owned the Chicago Cubs baseball team for 40 years. Now the E-Trade family owns them.
And I have said this before. NUFC is perfect for a control freak like Rafa. It is RafaNUFC, he controls everything. As long as Ashley gives him what NUFC generate he can do what he wants. He wont get that at Sociedad and he just saw what it was like under a dictator at Real Madrid.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And remember Rafa approached NUFC. He must have seen that Carr and Charnley made their power grab and failed. He saw the potential, but above all I think he saw a disinterested owner and the possibility of RafaNUFC where he was in charge of everything. A control freak’s wet dream.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
People see Rafa as a Saint but he is like any of the top Managers in that he is ruthless and selfish when it suits him. Ask Colback or Mitro. Just like Mourinho, he will put his arm around a player’s shoulder and stab him in the back.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
There are talks here of someone buying DC United of MLS including their Stadium and training facilities. The price? 500 million dollars. Now tell me Fatty will not get his money. Apart from the foreign mercenaries the players get about 100-200,000 a YEAR. They are basically Championship clubs but I am guessing the new owners think there will be a lot of growth. There probably will be if the US get the World Cup in 8 years.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Simon – you are right in saying that Kenedy was a flop on loan at Watford and that he was a fringe player at Chelsea.
I do not agree with your suggestion that he may cost in excess of £18m.
I think Rafa is getting the best out of him and he could easily go backwards at another club.
I would offer £12m for him and at a stretch go to £14m.
sidekick(Quote)
If Slimani plays in our last 6 games and does okay then I would put in a £15m bid and see what Leicester come back with.
I doubt he will get much game time at Leicester and he may not be in demand by other Premier clubs.
I would rather take him than Jorgensen.
sidekick(Quote)
We will probably loan Kennedy again.
kimtoon(Quote)
Barca out. Probably the biggest upset since they knocked PSG out.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Kimtoon: I think you were right about the Fatman and I don’t think he will sell. I think he has to give iron clad assurances to Rafa but I think he will stay. As I have said many times it is RafaNUFC and he will not get that anywhere else. Even Pep has a Director of Football. Rafa is basically the NUFC version of Brian Clough with complete control.
Wenger is the only one that compares but even Arsenal have now brought in someone to oversee transfers.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
How about having the Mackems as our feeder club in League 1. We could loan them a couple of prospects for 6 months like Aarons and Armstrong. It would probably help them out but would also be the ultimate humiliation 🙂 The players wouldn’t even have to move digs. Wearside Jack if we can’t sell him 🙂 That would be Rafa’s revenge for him mouthing off.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Cardiff get beat so Fulham only 2 points off automatic promotion with all of the momentum.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sorry, Fulham won as well so they are up to second but Cardiff have a game in hand.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Mackems done, right!? 4 games to go, 7 points behind safety and last 2 games against Fulham and Wolves (2nd and 1st).
I read Olly’s article on them closing the cash turnstiles and the box office saying you had to prove you were a fan to get a ticket. How? Do they ask you to say “Wheese Keeys are Theese”? Force feed you Cheesy Chips. Ask you to name all of the Sunderland Managers under Ellis Short – I bet most Mackems couldn’t do that.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
that makes no sense to shut cash turnstiles, surely they need every penny they can get 😕
kimtoon(Quote)
Pretty sure Fulham will go up, they are bang in form.
kimtoon(Quote)
Eric – sometimes you crack me up mate!
It’s a tight call on Kenedy. Seems like he would be happy to come and he’d definitely get games but who knows what will happen on his summer hols. New guy at Chelsea wanting to evaluate?
Fee too high for Ashley? Big clubs offering bigger bucks?
Rafa should force Chelsea’s and do it now! Do the deal now.
georgio(Quote)
The good news on Kenedy is that Chelsea would not see us as one of their rivals. PSG, who have plenty of wingers anyway and Bayern they would worry about in the CL the year after next. Bayern have Robben and Ribery leaving so somebody has put 2 and 2 together and come up with Kenedy. My guess is they will buy whoever is the best German winger and probably someone like Dybala or Griezzmann. Kenedy is just not a name that would get them excited.
And I am not sure if Ellis Short could name all of the managers since he has owned Sunderland. He’d probably forget **** Advocaat. BTW, I don’t think I could name them all without looking at Wikipedia.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And people in glass houses 🙂 Since Ashley we have had? BFS. Kinnear, Keegan, Shearer, Hughton, Pardew, Carver, Schteve, Rafa. Any more?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I watched Barca – Roma last night and have never seen Barca taken apart like that. Roma could have easily had 6. I have watched a lot of Barca games as all are shown live here. I usually have them on in the background as in La Liga it is most often a boring mismatch that even the brilliance of Messi and Iniesta cannot quite enliven.
We complain about English Refs but they all seem shyte to me. A penalty was rightly awarded against Pique and he was the last man. He got a yellow when it was obviously red. If that had happened, it really could have been 6. The refereeing of City’s last 3 games has been a joke, 1 British Ref, 2 Foreign.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
God I feel sorry for you in Britain. You not only have Merse and Lawro but the Scouse contingent. We had McManamanamanam over here for a couple of years and that high pitched Scouse yap is so annoying that I had to turn the sound down. It is surpassed though by the Jamie “nails on a chalkboard voice” Carragher and that throatal scouse of Stevie G. Honestly, how can you take it?
What the hell has happened the Scouse accent? The Beatles never spoke like that and they were 4 working class lads.
And Phil Thompson FFS. When I was back a couple of years ago I watched Soccer Saturday and almost slit my wrists. Where do they get such a motley crew of wrongheaded wankers?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
KIM just wonder what is the area of Paulton in Bristol like ??
icedog(Quote)
It’s not somewhere I go really Ice, it’s a village about 12 miles or so outside Bristol, it’s under Bath and north somerset council . People say it’s very nice, typical old mining village really.
I have been there many moons ago, it’s pretty.
Why you asking ?
kimtoon(Quote)
I love Rafa and he is doing an exceptional job under very difficult circumstances. All you have to do is look at previous Managers under the Fatman to see that. But he has to be flexible enough to fit Mitro into his model. It is very difficult to find a goalscorer and we have one. You can say it is just The Championship, but it is not. He is banging them in for Serbia as well. I still don’t understand why he was never our Plan B.
You can talk about temperament all you like but he has done fine keeping himself under control at Fulham and with Serbia.
There is the question of pace but Joselu doesn’t have pace and we have complimentary players like Gayle and Perez who have pace.
We have the makings of a very good spine going from Dubravka to Lascelles/Lejeune through Shelvey and a centre forward. I know this is a different era but forwards who are not Usain Bolt have worked. Think about Toshack with Keegan. We had big Dunc who was a menace when not injured. Hell, Shearer wasn’t mobile after his injuries.
Mitro has shown he can take his chances and that is the hardest thing to find.
We would be mad not to give him another chance. Unless, of course, he shagged Rafa’s wife.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
There must be something that can be done in the name of schadenfreude to celebrate the Mackem’s misery. I know it was a nice gesture to give the money that would have paid for a flyby for their last relegation to Charity, but…
Why not do something? I could have given the $50 I spent last weekend to travel and watch NUFC in a pub but chose not to. In some ways there is a false equivalency about saying the money was used better because it was probably not the same money. Do you get what I am saying? We could all do more for charity but can we save the world.
A petty gesture is appropriate here. A few hundred quid is not going to save the planet.
A flyby would be boring though. Been there done that. There must be something that would be funny and appropriate?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The Chronic are saying that Spurs are watching Kenedy. That would be the most stupid piece of business by Chelsea since they sold Matic to Man U. Surely they have learnt their lesson? I can understand selling young, unproven players like Salah, Lukaku and De Bruyne to non-rivals, but Kenedy to Spurs? They would have to be really stupid to do that!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
You should be proud of me Simon, I got back on topic 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
a old friend of my mrs got back in touch said she had moved there,the houses seem dirt cheap,3 bed semi £80,000,so we wondered what the area was like with house prices that low
icedog(Quote)
That’s not the norm there though ice, the average is £330,000 up to £600,000, I’m on right move every day looking at stuff in and around Bristol. There are a few small new builds for around 250 though. Where did you see £80,000 ?
kimtoon(Quote)
all i did was ask google how far from durham to paulton bs39 7sd which is her post code and the miles came up aswell as house move prices and areas around there
icedog(Quote)
Olly: that was a strange article about Rafa. Most on here back him 90% of the time but most also question what he is doing with Mitro because we are so limited for choice up front and wonder what went on/why not plan B? Rafa didn’t walk into to an easy situation at Valencia. It is never easy when you have to compete with a club backed by the Spanish Government and Catalan FC, the 2 richest clubs in the world. Madrid were still buying the best players around back then (them and Meelan, anyway), Galacticos. Barca still had Cryuff running the show I think.
VERY STRANGE ARTICLE. Have you started the weekend early? Writing your article from a Stag do in Amsterdam?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ah right, I will check out prices on right move .
kimtoon(Quote)
Ice, 3 beds range from 275,000 – 330,000 in bs39
kimtoon(Quote)
Most interesting CL QFs in years. 3-3 on 72 mins Madrid – Real. City – Liverpool would have been much closer as well if not for incompetent Refs.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Rafa was 4th choice to take over Valencia and then won 2 La Ligas. It is sort of like some of the British Press (Martin Samuel, Stan Collymore etc.) saying Pep is a fraud and anybody would win La Liga and the CL with Lionel Messi. I think they have won only 1 CL since Pep left and haven’t even reached the semi-finals in the last 3 years.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
KIM I’ve just re-checked that true £80000 but kept reading down that was written in 1980 doh
Icedog(Quote)
Sorry 2008
Icedog(Quote)
That makes sense now mate, if it really was £80,000 half the youngsters in Bristol would be moving there instead of south Wales lol.
kimtoon(Quote)
Nice to see Rafa get some recognition and the team too.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/full-transcript-5live-pundits-discuss-14512266
kimtoon(Quote)
If the Labour Party under Socialist control get in power in this county I am going to have to leave. Their latest giveaway to the young is free bus travel to anyone under 25. Is there anything the young will have to pay for under a Labour government? If they think I’m going to pay for all these freebies they can think again!
Stuart79(Quote)
well said
icedog(Quote)
Where are you going Stuart? The young are paying a lot in Syria!
georgio(Quote)
Anywhere where there isn’t Socialist bullshit, georgio.
Stuart79(Quote)
I didn’t write it mate! Fan written piece from a man who got in touch to write something for us earlier in the week.
I thought it was an interesting one. Maybe OTT in areas, but the point is, so many have questioned (not so much doubted) Rafa’s methods over the past few years – turns out he’s known best all this time.
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
look at Malta mate,no poll no tv bills,plus the women are stunning lol
icedog(Quote)
NEW THREAD
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2018/04/12/three-ways-the-takeover-fiasco-could-pan-out-between-now-and-the-start-of-next-season-scary-stuff/
Simons take on the takeover possibilities..
Olly Hawkins(Quote)