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Gökhan Zan & Bobo Baldé...


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Besiktas stopper offered to Magpies

Jan 24 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

 

NEWCASTLE United have been offered the chance to sign Turkish international defender Gökhan Zan on loan until the end of the season, but manager Joe Kinnear is still confident he can land other targets.

 

The Besiktas centre-back has been touted around a number of Premier League clubs after his Turkish employers indicated they were willing to allow the 27-year-old to leave this month.

 

Having initially looked to sell a player who has been capped 27 times by his country, Besiktas have since let it be known they could be willing to allow the 6ft 4in stopper to move to England on loan with the possibility of a permanent deal at the end of the season.

 

That has attracted a cash-strapped Newcastle’s interest, but Kinnear is also looking at other targets who he feels may be more suitable to the rigours of the Premier League. With reports in Scotland also claiming Celtic are keen to try and offload their experienced centre-half Bobo Baldé to United, the Magpies have not been short on options when it comes to potential defensive targets. The Guinea international is out of contract with Celtic at the end of the season and will not sign an extension.

 

As a result, the Scottish club have also suggested they may be willing to let him leave on a free transfer now in order to get him off the wage bill at Parkhead. However, although the

 

Magpies are desperate for reinforcements before the close of the transfer window at the end of the month, there is still a reluctance to take any unnecessary risks and neither Gökhan or Balde will be signing in the next 48 hours.

 

At 33, there is a fear Balde’s best years are behind him, while the interest in Gökhan has been put on hold while negotiations continue with the club’s of other targets. Despite making several bids for defenders since the start of the year, all have been rejected.

 

The release of the club’s accounts for 2008 painted a grim financial picture and illustrated just how restrictive the transfer budget is for Kinnear as he tries to find the players needed to strengthen a squad which has been badly stretched by injuries and suspensions all season.

 

Indeed, although Kinnear was interested in central midfielder Jimmy Bullard, the Magpies could only stand by and watch as the 30-year-old completed a surprise £5m move from Fulham to Hull City yesterday.

 

Bullard has been one of the most consistent midfielders in the Premier League over the last two seasons, a fact recognised by England manager Fabio Capello who gave the former Wigan player his first international call-up last year, and would have been an excellent signing.

 

However, the player was looking for a four-year contract on wages of more than £50,000 a week, a figure Newcastle can not hope to match in the present financial climate.

 

Although owner Mike Ashley has made some money available to sign players this month – thought to be somewhere in the region of £10m – he is still keen to slash a wage bill which is eating up 70% of the club’s income and will no longer pay enormous salaries.

 

The Newcastle hierarchy, though, also know that with nine days left until transfer deadline day, they are under enormous pressure to add to the squad and improve the options available to Kinnear.

 

With Ashley struggling to win over sceptical supporters regarding his decision to take the club off the market last month, a failure to land any new players other than the out-of-contract Danish international Peter Løvenkrands will do little to relieve the ill feeling which continues to sour the air around St James’s Park.

 

Meanwhile, Kinnear has held clear-the-air talks with midfielder Charles N’Zogbia and striker Andy Carroll after the two traded punches on the training ground this week. Although Kinnear played down the incident, which followed a late challenge by Carroll on a confrontational N’Zogbia, he has still moved to calm simmering tension between the two, and has instructed them that they will always play on the same side in training for the foreseeable future.

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Indeed, although Kinnear was interested in central midfielder Jimmy Bullard, the Magpies could only stand by and watch as the 30-year-old completed a surprise £5m move from Fulham to Hull City yesterday.

 

it did make me ill to see that ;) he could of done a job for us

 

Clearly an indication that Kinnear doesn't have any money to spend, or that wise and co don't feel he is of the right "calibre"

Edited by sandman02uk
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I read in The Times yesterday that Bullard had been offered £35k a week (a £5k pw pay rise) to stay but he was after £50k. He's not worth that like, if it's true.

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I read in The Times yesterday that Bullard had been offered £35k a week (a £5k pw pay rise) to stay but he was after £50k. He's not worth that like, if it's true.

Aye - on a four and a half year contract as well means you could get well lumbered with zero re-sale value-i rate him but not for that kind of money

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I read in The Times yesterday that Bullard had been offered £35k a week (a £5k pw pay rise) to stay but he was after £50k. He's not worth that like, if it's true.

 

I really cant see Hull paying that much wedge like...

Take your pick, which one is it that your after...

wedge.jpg

 

wedge.jpg

 

or

 

cafe_le_caire_wedges.gif

Edited by bawan
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I read in The Times yesterday that Bullard had been offered £35k a week (a £5k pw pay rise) to stay but he was after £50k. He's not worth that like, if it's true.

 

I really cant see Hull paying that much wedge like...

Well they would have to be giving him more than the £35k Fulham are offering him. Probably a canny bit more to get him to go to Hull.

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