Jenas on cusp of Tottenham move

[Scottish Mag 3]

Jermaine Jenas, the Newcastle United and England midfielder, was edging closer to a move to Tottenham Hotspur last night for a sum of £5 million plus Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane.

 

Newcastle's chairman, Freddy Shepherd, is understood to have re-opened talks about the unsettled Jenas with his White Hart Lane counterpart, Daniel Levy, yesterday, following the latter's return from holiday.

 

Jenas recently expressed his dissatisfaction with life on Tyneside, which he likened to being in a "goldfish bowl" and Shepherd is reluctant to keep hold of an unhappy employee, especially when his club is over-endowed with midfielders but short of attackers.

 

One complication for the two chairmen is that Keane, 25, is believed to favour staying on at Tottenham instead of joining Newcastle.

 

Only 10 days ago Newcastle manager Graeme Souness said Keane "is not the kind of striker I am looking for at the moment" and that stance might force Spurs to meet the £10 million asking price in cash.

 

Souness is hoping to sign Real Madrid striker Michael Owen and Fulham's Luis Boa Morte is still wanted for the left-wing berth.

 

Nottingham-born Jenas, 22, is valued at £10 million by Newcastle who have already rejected Levy's £8 million offer for a player signed by Sir Bobby Robson from Nottingham Forest for £5 million in February 2002.

 

Publicly, Souness has insisted that Jenas is an integral part of his long-term plans but it is believed that privately he does not have a high regard for the player.

 

At the weekend, Jenas was sent off for fouling Arsenal's Gilberto Silva after Souness had found it necessary to order his charge to be more aggressive. "About 10 seconds before the tackle I was standing on the touchline telling JJ to be stronger in the tackle," Souness said. "He was stronger in the tackle and that happened to him."

 

As well as positive news regarding his eagerly sought-after move away from Tyneside, Jenas would also have been lifted by the announcement that his red card during the 2-0 defeat at Arsenal had been downgraded to a yellow by referee Steve Bennett and that he had therefore avoided a three-game suspension.

 

After reviewing the incident Bennett concluded it was an "orange card" offence and gave Jenas the benefit of the doubt. A Newcastle spokesman said that Bennett "had been in touch with Souness, Jenas and the rest of the squad to apologise for his error of judgement during Sunday's game against Arsenal."

[Howaythelads 0]

I thought Sourness reckoned Jenas wouldn't go for less than £20m? Or was it £15m?

 

In any case, as much as I don't rate Jenas, and as much as we have no strikers, I'm not over the moon at the idea of Keane coming here. The man is a journeyman who has done nowt everywhere he's been. Which is why he's been all over the place.

Edited August 16, 2005 by Howaythelads

[wykikitoon 16503]

Its in todays Daily Mail that JJ is going no where