Attentions Turn to Aubameyang

To find a goalscorer is difficult – getting them over the line to sign for your club is even harder, especially when its Newcastle United.

Once a heavyweight in the European game rubbing shoulders with Barcelona and Inter Milan, it looks like Swansea City have pipped the us to the post and have all but signed Wilfried Bony according to his agent. We featured the striker as one of Newcastle’s top targets yesterday but Sky Sports have reported that a £10.2m fee has been agreed between the current Carling Cup winners and the Dutch Club Vitesse Arnhem.

Kacou, Bony’s agent has been quoted in the Dutch newspaper de Gelderlander stating:

“Bony will go to Swansea,”.

“For how many years? We still have to work out that part. Hopefully more will be clear today”.  

With fitting within our transfer policy, with a great record and arguably within budget Bony looked like a real ‘purple’ signing of which Pardew spoke about before the end of last season. However it seems that Swansea City have managed to secure his services early doors and will be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of Michu and Bony terrorising defences next season.

Gabon International Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remains at the top of Pardew’s Joe Kinnear’s list, but with interest from big spending European Clubs offering European football (like Anzi  Makhachkala) it will take a huge amount of cash from Mike Ashley (possibly £15m+) and an even bigger leap of faith from the player and his representatives to join our humble circus of a club!

Sports Direct News are reporting that two bids from Premier League clubs have been accepted for Montpellier attacking midfielder Younes Belhanda. One of those clubs is believed to be Aston Villa, but apparently the deal has broken down on personal terms.

Therefore the only possible club left is Newcastle United.  It is also believed that the Moroccan has been in touch with his former Captain Mapu Yang-Mbwia about a possible move. His £12m valuation is backed by his current record with 12 goals and 6 assist in 35 games last season, he’s certainly someone we could use out wide.

However this was also the source that reported Newcastle United were in talks with a spectacular move for £28m Wayne Rooney so I’d take this with a pinch of salt. It appears Sports Direct News are about as informed as Alan Pardew when it comes to Newcastle United transfer targets.

What seems more likely is history will repeat itself and Newcastle will ‘try’ and ‘fail’ to land their main target and we will have to settle for a Goufrann type 2^nd choice signing (in this case probably Darren Bent).

Here’s to hoping I’m proved wrong.

By Amit Shabilla