5 Clear Reasons Why Newcastle Won’t be Moving for Andy Carroll

The madness of the transfer window has only just finished and after a highly eventful spurge into the market for Newcastle United, apparently more activity is on the horizon.

It’s the 6^th of February and having  given us a week off the transfer speculation, the journo’s are back at doing what they love best; making up transfer rumours. The most recent of these is Liverpool’s supposed move for Hatem ben Arfa, with Andy Carrol apparently going in the opposite direction.

I’m no journalist, nor am I football agent, but I’ll give 5 reasons why, from the view of a man on the terraces, this will never happen: 

1.       Andy Carroll’s valuation is way above what Newcastle can and will pay for a player

Newcastle United is now renowned, dare I say worldwide, for their shrewd negotiations in the transfer market. We won’t be held to ransom, the case in point being Loic Remy. If Newcastle really wanted him they would have upped their wages – but the fact that they stuck to their guns shows that no player is bigger than a club – at least at Newcastle anyway!

There is always a plan B. Nor will Mike Ashley let the wool be pulled over his eyes when it comes to ‘his’ cash. No doubt Liverpool will want to recuperate some of the £35,016,000 they spent on Andy Carroll (It was widely reported that Liverpool were a day late and Ashley charged them interest on that late payment which equated to £16000). Now, just because they spent that on Andy Carrollm it does not mean Newcastle see his valuation anywhere near that. The boy himself hasn’t pulled any trees up whilst playing for Liverpool or West Ham for that matter and if anything his valuation has gone down like the Hindenberg.

2.       Sentiment vs Value for  Money

It has been reported that Andy Carrolll could ‘return home to Newcastle’ much in the same way Shearer came under Kevin Keegan. However Newcastle have shown when it comes to money there is no room for sentiment – Danny Graham would have been a decent 3^rd choice striker (in the Leon Best/ Lovenkrands mould) but at no point did Pardew consider him, despite his geordie roots.

Newcastle have shown what they can do with their cheque book (I’m aware of the irony here as NUFC pay cash…in full). For example, Arsenal paid £15m for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. In contrast, Newcastle paid £5m for Davide Santon, £4m Chiek Tiote and £6m for Yohan Cabaye. So if Liverpool were to offer ‘Cut’ a price Andy Carroll for say £18m – what could Newcastle get for that? Which brings me onto point 3…

3.       Other Players on Graham Carr’s List

Newcastle did some great business early on in the window bringing in Matthiew Debuchey, a player who impressed at the Euro’s last year and has established himself as a French International. We then had the ‘Arry Redknapp saga with Loic Remy failing to turn up to his medical after his club Marseille had agreed a fee with Newcastle United. Instead very publicly mugging us off for Relegation bound (fingers crossed) QPR. Our spirits were lifted then by the superb signings of Sissoko, Mbwia, Goffrann and the promising Haidara and unknown Swiss teenager Kevin Mbabu.

However, it was again widely reported Newcastle had a offers of £10m for Ricky Van Wolfswinkle and a £12m offer for Wilfried Bony turned down as well as coming close to making a serious offer for Patrick -Emerick Aubameyang and Siam De Jong (only for the former to come out publicly stating he wanted to stay until the summer). All of these players come with a great scoring record in comparison to AC:

Aubameyang     -21 goals in 71 Games

Wilfried Bony     -31 goals in 53 Games

Ricky Van W       -19 goals in 40 Games

Andy Carroll       -6   goals in 44 Games (Liverpool) 2 goals in 12 games West Ham

Alan Pardew has already stated that Graham Carr will be back at work looking for our summer targets and for a club that scour the far reaches of Europe I can’t see us going for something so obvious.

4.       Ben Arfa – Happy Here and Playing with 6 fellow French Internationals

It must be said that no one can blame Ben Arfa for questioning Mike Ashley’s ambition in a recent interview in France, and to be fair, when asked about PSG (His boyhood club) Hatem gave an honest but resounding answer stating ‘yes’ it would be a dream move, but I’m happy here and want to fight to save the team that has done so much for me.

However with the acquisitions made in January it’s clear that Newcastle United now have a different look about them. Buying 3 fellow French internationals alongside fellow countryman Yohan Cabaye and Sylvain Marveux will surely appeal to the midfield Maestro.

If Dider Deschamps needs to come and watch any of his team in action outside of France where better else to come than St. James’s Park where he can kill potentially 5 birds with one flight! The prospect of playing with the pacey, powerful and energetic midfield of  Sissoko, Cabaye and Tiote would surely give Ben Arfa licence to express himself wherever he wants in the ‘Wayne Rooney’ free role I think he craves so much. Why leave a team on the cusp of something great?

5.       And Finally … when was the last time Graham Carr went to see Andy Carroll Play?

Newcastle don’t make rash financial decisions anymore. Graham Carr’s reputation has gone from strength to strength to the point other teams now have scouts ‘scouting’ graham himself to guess who is watching. Anyone that knows Newcastle United under the current regime has to commend the boys from Daan Saaf. they don’t throw money around for nothing (QPR style). Every person seriously linked would have been watched for a number of months by Mr Carr (and when things get more serious and IF Newcastle believe they can actually land the player) and then and only then by Alan Pardew. 

When was the last time (if any) either were spotted at Upton Park or Anfeild? Newcastle has a system of comprehensive scouting, intense examination of players including attitude as well ability and buying cheap and selling high. So far so good…

…And Andy Carroll returning and Hatem Ben Arfa leaving on the cheap (anything less than £15m) does not fit into that system anywhere.

Amit Shabilla

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