da poker： The appointment of Steven McClaren has left an underwhelming taste in the mouths of some on Tyneside, but this is very much a new era for Newcastle United; no Mike Ashley on the board, an experienced manager at the helm and apparently a rather sizable summer budget to revitalise a dwindling squad.
da dobrowin： The Premier League outfit have been linked to a vast array of players already but we at Football Fancast think they could be doing a little better this summer.
The Magpies still have a big profile in the UK and abroad from their somewhat more affluent spells under Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan, and that pulling power – in addition to their improved transfer budget – should be put to good use.
And with that in mind, Football Fancast have listed FIVE ‘transfer coups’ the Toon should attempt to pull off this summer – essentially, players seemingly beyond their means for financial or footballing reasons that may be more interested in a Tyneside move than many would expect.
Could Newcastle bag some of these top stars this summer?
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Nicolas N’Koulou
Toon fans are undoubtedly tired of links with Ligue 1 stars but Newcastle desperately need improvement the heart of defence and Marseille defender Nicolas N’Koulou strikes the perfect balance between superior quality and availability.
The 25 year-old has been knocking on the door of the European elite for some time and has just come to the end of yet another strong season at Stade Velodrome, averaging 2.1 tackles, 3.3 interceptions, 6.6 clearances and 3.4 successful aerial duels per match.
Experienced on the international scene with 51 caps for Cameroon under his belt, the 5 foot 11 defender – who can also operate in midfield when required – would instantly enhance Steve McClaren’s options at the heart of defence.
Furthermore, it looks like L’OM will be forced to sell this summer, with just a year remaining on N’Koulou’s contract and discussions over a new deal yet to get underway.
The French club turned down a €12million bid from Napoli earlier this season, however, so whether the Magpies can match their yet-to-be-revealed asking price remains to be seen.
YEVHEN KONOPLYANKA
There’s been plenty of talk about Yevhen Konoplyanka over the last 18 months but not a lot of action. Indeed, he’s been linked to Spurs, Liverpool and Sevilla to name a few and is widely expected to leave Dnipro on a free transfer this summer, yet none of his suitors have taken a bite from the proverbial cherry.
No doubt, however, the 25 year-old winger is one of the biggest talents outside of Europe’s leading top flights, bursting onto the scene with a stunning goal against England at Wembley in 2012 and going on to claim three Ukrainian Footballer of the Year awards. His talismanic displays this season saw Dnipro reach the Europa League final.
The flanks have been a real problem area for the Magpies over the last few seasons, with Sammy Ameobi, Yoan Gouffran, Remy Cabella and Gabriel Obertan all struggling to impact.
The 45-cap international, who boasts 45 goals in 209 outings for Dnipro, could well be the perfect remedy, and has made his intentions to move to the Premier League this summer abundantly clear. On a free transfer, he could turn out to be one of the deals of the transfer window.
Ashley Young
Another wideman coup for the Magpies to consider. Ashley Young has just come to the end of arguably his strongest season to date at Manchester United, bagging two goals, five assists and four man of the match awards in 26 Premier League outings and even putting in a series of solid shifts as the Red Devils’ emergency left-back.
It juxtaposes two seasons of wayward form and recurring injury problems but the veteran winger is beginning to show the form that saw him claim the PFA Young Player of the Year award at Aston Villa and earn an inaugural call-up to Steve McClaren’s England squad back in 2007.
At 29 years of age, Young probably only has a few years left at top level. But if he can bring his form from the last few months to Newcastle, he’ll vastly improve the Toon outfit’s options in attack.
Furthermore, despite his strong season, Manchester United are widely expected to cash in on the former Watford man this summer with just a year remaining on his contract.They could let Young leave for a relatively innocuous fee.
FREDY GUARIN
Inter Milan have an interesting relationship with midfielder Fredy Guarin in that they keep trying to sell him, at least by the reckoning of the tabloids.
Ahead of January 2014, he was strongly linked with a move to Chelsea until they signed Nemanja Matic instead and further rumours of Nerazzurri’s intentions to cash-in resurfaces a few months ago.
So following the arrival of likeminded midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia from Monaco earlier this week, the Colombian international’s long-awaited departure could finally take place during the current transfer window. But at 28 years of age, the San Siro outfit may struggle to find a buyer – which is where Newcastle come in.
Despite the relentless ambiguity over his future, Guarin is a talented player. He’s a physical, energetic, forward-thinking midfielder, at his best when in slightly more advanced roles – particularly, on the right wing or at the tip of midfield.
He’s famed for absolutely lethal low-driving shots from long distances, and has netted 14 times in 92 league outings for Inter – including a return of six goals (and six assists) in 28 Serie A appearances this season.
Guarin would be an astronomical signing for the Magpies, which perhaps makes him a little unrealistic. But Inter aren’t involved in any of the European competitions next season, so it’s not as if he’ll be taking a significant step down by moving to Tyneside.
MARIO BALOTELLI
I know what you’re thinking. Mario Balotelli has just come to the end of an absolutely abysmal season at Liverpool, netting just once in 15 Premier League appearances and spending the latter portion of the campaign rotting in the reserves.
He’s also left his last three clubs after just a handful of seasons on rather sour terms. In other words, he’s damaged goods – once deemed ‘unmanageable’ by Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho.
But let’s not forget what the 24 year-old is truly capable of. He’s a Golden Boy award winner, a Serie A winner and a Premier League winner, a regular starter for the Italian national team – boasting 13 goals and 33 caps since his 2010 debut – and was the joint-top scorer at the 2012 European Championship.
The 6 foot 3 striker relentlessly veers between the horrendous and the sublime. But Newcastle need a new front-man and if they can get slightly more of the latter than the former from Balotelli next season, he’ll be a real asset in their attack.
Furthermore, Liverpool are desperate to find an exit strategy for the mercurial Italian after spending £16million on him last summer – so they’re likely to accept pretty much any bid that recovers some of their original investment and gets Balotelli out of the club as soon as possible.