West ham now nailed on to sign broja... Yet to get a response on scammaca. Surely newcastle have a chance to sign scammaca?
I am slightly surprised we have not signed one forward type player this window. And there is plenty of time. But I would have preferred one in for pre season. I can just see Wilson getting crocked.
The problem is money, availability, who else is shopping for strikers and who wants to come. Loads of big clubs are after a striker They'll get one they want or they'll possibly not bother as other big clubs needs for strikers won't be as high somewhere down the line. It'll be sweet in time
I don’t know. I don’t think he has ever missed a game through injury in his career. The fact that he is training on his own and not the players is clearly to protect them from him.
At this it's Stage getting the name right is a lottery. I've reached the point where I'll be surprised if the player has been named in a link before the big news drops. Nobody knows owt
There was a stage a few weeks ago where one or two links seemed strong enough to assume they might happen, but right now there's absolutely nothing of any strength whatsoever. Are newcastle just going to it out and have a late flutter once clubs are more eager to sell?
It **feels** like they have something decent in the pipe. That could just be Diaby following Ben Jacobs tweet, but make no mistake that would be a helluva coup. There's plenty of young talent out there to be had, it's all down to the scouts/Howe/Ashworth. I mean, if anyone's got his finger on the pulse of young players it's Ashworth, right?
Yes I believe Ashworth is in Austria so I'm not expecting anything to happen until this tour ends and maybe a week after the return. I think it's almost safe to assume that Newcastle will start their opening fixtures with the correct squad. We'll see things change fast, but Howe doesn't just chuck them in, so I doubt they'd play even if they signed this week.
I reckon we're in - or have been in - dialogue about the following players, purely because they fit the profile and there's no smoke without fire: Isak, Diaby, Harrison, Tielemans, Madueke, Gordon, Paqueta. I don't think we can currently 'afford' any of them, I think their respective clubs over-value them. Tielemans is apparently meeting with the manager and board this week to discuss his future but again I'd be surprised if he's allowed to go for under £40m. Most of those listed will have asking prices £50m+ and I think we'd be looking to pay £40m for Isak, Diaby and Paqueta, £30m for Gordon, Tielemans, £25m for Harrison and £20m for Madueke. It may be 'easier' to get Tielemans or Paqueta (whichever Arsenal don't get, basically) but CM is very much 3rd in a 3 position priority list so I think Howe will want money spent elsewhere before we entertain offers for another CM. I think it's likely we've asked about a handful of other players, some very pricey - Dybala, Schick, Osimhen - which will be completely impossible to do as they all finished in UCL positions with their clubs, and some on the younger side - Gouiri, Brobbery, Kalimuendo, Doku.
For me CF and a RW will be the priority but RW first - if we can find a RW who can competently cover as CF then a CAM will be next through the door but I have a feeling they will be focusing all efforts in to a RW predominantly. Noni Makeundu off PSV would be an exciting addition and a young player with bags of potential as per the GMS article.
