Bafetimbi Gomis

Gomis - let's see how it goes over the next few days.

HBA - if he is struggling with fitness, why tell the world about it, good man management would be how it's being dealt with by not undermining the player. If telling a porky or two on his fitness is fine by me.

 

According to the Mail we have threatened to walk away from the Gomis negotiations after Lyon rejected our latest offer.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-reject-8m-bid-Newcastle-Bafetimbi-Gomis.html

 

Lyon are playing a dangerous game for a player who will walk away free next year. £8 mil is more than a fair offer and I'd be telling them take it or leave it too.

 

For a 27 year old, the board should rightfully not go over that 8million bid they've put in.

 

We need more targets than we have, it's clear we're appearing desperate and short of options, which is why Lyon are playing hard-ball.

 

i fully expect this one not to 'get over the line'... and for AP to trot out the crap about 'nearly' signing some top players...

 

We need to stick to our guns. His age and contractual situation, couple with his goals record, means we shouldn't go overboard.

As for HBA's fitness, I can't say I'm surprised. The lad does not look after himself and is regularly overweight. That is a personal issue that HBA needs to rectify. The club can train him hard and work with him while at training etc, but he has to live the life.

 

Latest from GFN.

L’Equipe report this morning that Newcastle have terminated negotiations with Lyon for Bafetimbi Gomis. After the Magpies were unwilling to bid for more than €8m for the striker, Lyon are now left in a predicament as to where to offload the player.

Whether or not this is the end of the Bafetimbi Gomis saga in regards to Newcastle is unclear. Lyon are demanding €10m for Gomis, who’s contract expires in a year’s time. The Magpies were due to hold advanced talks with the player’s agents in Newcastle today but this meeting has been subsequently cancelled.

Whether or not the Magpies return to this option is unclear. It is a distinct possibility that Jean Michel Aulas returns to talk with Newcastle to convince them to pay €10m or even settle for a lower offer if there is no other club in a position to sign the Frenchman who would ideally prefer a move to Marseille.



If as looks increasingly likely, that we don't get Gomis where this leaves the search for a new striker is anyone's guess.
As Hillier said yesterday, if you were to take a cynical position on the whole saga, it does make you wonder.

What happens with the next player if there is one, same scenario, same result.

I'm not saying don't play hardball, but, it may well get to the point that MA isn't at good at Poker as he thinks he is.

Where is the extra £60m in TV revenue that you keep on hearing about.

We need a boost and we need it sooner rather than later and if that means spending an extra £2m it should be.

 

What you have to remember is Ashley runs this club Jan-Dec, as a financial year. From his point of view, spend in January = Summer transfers too, more or less. This is partly why there is no mention of the TV revenue. On the plus side, when January comes around we may be spending even more than we did this year. I've said quite a few teams that we're a Jan window club, not a Summer one. We pick up players on the cheap at this time and agree contracts with others. It's Ashley's way of being a bit clever and not many in football have cottoned on yet...

The striker situation is an important one, but there's a month to go and by all accounts we could have Remy and Gomis by Wednesday.

 

This striker situation is critical because if we don't sign someone it would mean Shola would be coming off the bench regularly. This CANNOT be allowed to happen. We need two strikers but Christ I would settle on one, just get someone in with talent

 

It's a shame we are so desperate for immediate striker reinforcements as we could probably get Gomis for a couple of million in Jan when his contract only has 6 months left - like we did with Sissoko and Gouffran. You can see why Jan is MA fav month - it's the best time to get genuine bargains.

 

I'm not sure Gouffran was ever brought in as a winger, though? I might be wrong - I've seen mention that his best work has come on the left side of a front 3. But he seems a bit more Belllamy than that. Not making excuses for the club, and he's not a "purple", but one striker is just about enough if they're of a decent level, at least until January. I still think we'll bring in two up front and I have a feeling we'll get 1 or 2 more. Maybe I feel optimistic today, but I still wonder if Ince might be coming (why did we play Blackpool?) and one at the back, a more utility style player as we're a bit short at LB.

 

Have to say I'm with the club on this one. You shouldn't just go paying over the odds just because you have a pressing need. He is a good striker who the club would do well to clinch, but not at any cost.

 

Agreed. £7m for a player unwanted by his club, out of contract in a year and 28 this season is more than acceptable. We paid something like £10m for Cisse who had longer to run on his deal, was wanted by his club Freiburg, scoring more in a better league at a worse club and was younger.

Too many clubs think the World's all about £90bn deals for the likes of Bale, and that their players must be worth ten times as much because bigger clubs are willing to pay more. People like Aulas should remember the golden rule - something is only worth what someone is willing to pay. In just one year, that's £0.

 

there's ways to save face these days.
He could pay the money.. say it's undisclosed and leak it that it was no more than £7m.

 

Oops. Club have withdrawn from negotiations, according to, well, everyone.

 

Which in business theory is great, however the football season doesn't run Jan-Dec and by the time we buy in Jan it's to save our failing season having wasted the first half.

Not a compatible model with the reality of football.

 

As a realist I could have told you that yesterday - As an optimist maybe we are just hoping they blink first.
Either way it is unsatisfactory for this situation to play out like it is so late in the day.

 

Depends.

If we have a plausible Plan B, then definitely. Stick to your valuations and don't be held to ransom.

If not signing Gomis means not signing anyone, however, then there are times when you have to admit you've screwed things up and not let pride get in the way. Not having a decent striker will cost much, much more than the extra 2 million euros.

 

I agree. But our problems lie with the owner, so I can give you 300 million reasons why we have to just get on with it.