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Desperate Fergie eyes up Martins


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Desperate Alex eyes up Martins

 

By SHAUN CUSTIS

August 21, 2007

 

COMMENT ON THIS STORY

 

 

ALEX FERGUSON has hit the panic button and put the word out: I need a striker NOW.

 

The shock new name on his radar is Newcastle frontman Obafemi Martins.

 

Ferguson has also been linked with Bolton’s French international striker Nicolas Anelka.

 

And Spurs ace Dimitar Berbatov is still keen on a move to United, who were linked with the Bulgarian at the end of last season.

 

Fergie’s problem is he has spent a fortune this summer and there is very little left to play with — Berbatov would cost in the region of £25m.

 

However, Martins has a £13m release clause in his contract and Toon boss Sam Allardyce has admitted he is powerless to stop the Nigerian leaving if any club matches the price.

 

Martins, 22, told SunSport last weekend that he was ready to sign a six-year contract and remove the clause from any new agreement.

 

But the lure of a possible move to Old Trafford might change his mind.

*

 

Martins’ scoring record is what Fergie is looking for. He bagged 17 last season and already has two this time round.

 

United’s French striker Louis Saha is expected to return to action in the next fortnight.

 

But he is a fragile figure who could easily break down again, while Wayne Rooney is out for two months with a broken foot.

 

If Fergie could ensure Saha stays fit, the manager may give the cheque-book a rest but he cannot guarantee it.

 

United would face competition from rivals Manchester City should they move for Anelka, 28.

 

The hotshot has been offered to both clubs by his representatives — but Bolton want £12m.

 

City initially rejected the chance to buy their former hitman.

 

But Sven Goran Eriksson has done a U-turn after new £6m striker Valeri Bojinov was ruled out for four months with a knee injury.

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Lol'ing at people preferring to lose Owen ahead of Martins. :icon_lol:

 

If Allardyce is going to persist with 4-3-3 then I'd rather keep Martins than Owen tbh.

 

Though if I were Fergie I'd go for Anelka before either of our pair.

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cant see it happening for a number reasons

 

1. Fergie has already got 2 short arse strikers, why would he want another

2. Oba would be a stop gap until Rooney & Ronaldo are fit and he would know it

3. Anelka would be cheaper and fit in better to their system

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Oliver hasn't got a source at the club anymore :

 

United sweat on Oba move

 

Aug 21 2007

 

by Alan Oliver, Evening Chronicle

 

 

Obafemi Martins

 

NEWCASTLE United are bracing themselves for a possible Manchester United move for their striker Obafemi Martins.

 

And they know that if Sir Alex Ferguson slaps in a £13m offer for the Nigerian striker they will be powerless to stop Martins leaving for Old Trafford because of the release clause in his contract.

 

Certainly it did not come as a surprise to find Martins linked with Manchester United today because Fergie's need for a striker is bordering on sheer desperation.

 

There is even talk about the Reds bringing back their former favourite and ex-Newcastle striker Andy Cole while Wayne Rooney is out injured and Louis Saha continues to have a lot of problems.

 

 

Cole is without a club at the moment after being released by Portsmouth and he would jump at the chance to end his career at Old Trafford – and Newcastle fans will certainly be hoping that this is the road Ferguson goes down.

 

There are only 10 days left before the transfer window slams shut again and there is still a lot of wheeling and dealing to be done by Premiership clubs.

 

Fulham midfielder Papa Bouba Diop wants to leave Craven Cottage, and back in May before the Mike Ashley takeover his agent sent Freddy Shepherd – he was at St James Park on Saturday – a text saying the Senegalese international wanted to join United.

 

Fulham are keen on Charles N'Zogbia and would be willing to do a swap but United would prefer to keep their French midfielder.

 

Diop is an Allardyce kind of player and, like imminent signing from Bolton, Abdoulaye Faye, he was born in Dakar.

 

Meanwhile, Albert Luque is still a United player despite the fact that Levante are keen to take him back to Spain.

 

Now Dutch outfits PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord and Ajax have all been in contact with United in the last 24 hours about the Spanish international, but the big stumbling block is Luque's £60,000 a week wages.

 

Feyenoord are preparing a bid for the Spaniard following an injury to their summer signing and Dutch international forward Andwele Slory.

 

And with the transfer deadline now just 10 days away, their bitter arch-rivals Ajax are also ready to throw their hat into the ring.

 

It wouldn’t be the first time Luque has been linked with a move to Holland after a loan deal with PSV Eindhoven fell through at the 11th hour during the January transfer window.

 

Even with Andy Carroll out on loan Luque is still way down United's pecking order of strikers, and if he were to move it would save the club around £9m in wages.

 

He's been on the bbc gossip column, evidently.

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£13m for someone that hasn't even got a first touch

 

:icon_lol:

 

 

His first touch looked just fine at the Reebok last weekend.

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Guest Patrokles
Id definately rather lose owen than martins. Firstly, Martins injury/goals record pisses on owens and secondly, he actually wants to play for the club, wants to play for the club and makes no secret of the fact

 

I fail to see how his behaviour over the summer with regards to that was any better than Owen's. Maybe came across as even slightly less committed, tbh.

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£13m for someone that hasn't even got a first touch

 

:icon_lol:

 

 

His first touch looked just fine at the Reebok last weekend.

 

Jimbo, even the bloke's biggest fans must surely realise that he has the touch of a dyspractic rapist. His reviews for the coming season will fall into two categories. "He scored" and "He was dogshit", aka "He didn't score". Hopefully we see more of the former than the latter.

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£13m for someone that hasn't even got a first touch

 

:icon_lol:

 

 

His first touch looked just fine at the Reebok last weekend.

I think people were basing the assessment on his whole time here rather than one game though :rolleyes:

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SSN

 

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce has dismissed speculation that Obafemi Martins is set to leave the club.

 

The striker scored 17 goals for Newcastle last year and he has already hit the back of the net twice this season to reportedly spark interest from a number of clubs both in the Premier League and abroad.

 

Newcastle signed Martins from Internazionale for £10million and he has a release clause in his current St James's Park contract which would allow him to leave the club should an agreed asking price be met.

 

However, Allardyce insists he has yet to have contact from any club regarding a possible transfer for the 22-year-old forward.

 

Speculation

 

"There has been speculation about Obafemi Martins every week since I have been at Newcastle and he is still here," Allardyce told Sky Sports News.

 

"I've had no contact from any football club either in this country or any other country regarding wanting to activate the clause in his contract.

 

"From that point of view he is still a Newcastle United player.

 

"The only way he wouldn't be a Newcastle United player is if someone activates that clause and nobody has."

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am I the only one who feels Big Sam is fishing there?

 

No you're not, seems to be selling the release clause a wee bit if you ask me.

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