We’re still a week away from the Liverpool game but there are still things going on at Newcastle.
This weekend the club’s prime target for January has been claimed, while a young star was involved in World Cup drama. Here are the biggest stories on the black and white beat on Sunday, September 8.
Newcastle’s prime January target?
Newcastle United are ready to move for Jarrod Bowen in January, .
The winger is rated at £20million and was a Newcastle target in the summer – before the club signed Allan Saint-Maximin. He is into the last year of his contract and United would be attracted to a cut-price deal – but the Express claims the price is fixed and the player would be keen on a move to the Magpies.
Mo Sangare’s dramatic World Cup
Mo Sangare’s international week has been eventful.
Fresh from scoring in front of 80,000 for Liberia in their World Cup qualifier against Sierra Leone, he was then part of a travelling party which was attacked while training in the run-up to the second leg.
His teammates threatened not to play the match but were persuaded to – and then nearly lost it in the third minute of stoppage time. Trailing 1-0 but ahead on aggregate, Liberia conceded a 93rd minute penalty – which was saved to earn them progress into the second round of the African qualifiers.
Sangare was a second half substitute.
Fabian Schar supplied an assist for one of Switzerland’s four goals against Gibraltar while Emil Krafth’s Sweden drew with Norway (he was on the bench).
Krafth’s words for Steve Bruce
Krafth has been speaking about club boss Steve Bruce in a fresh interview with Aftonbladet.
The Sweden defender has been impressed with Bruce and his man management since joining Newcastle. “I heard all the talk about what happened but I was not here last season. I can only speak about how things are now. I think he [Bruce] is a good coach and a good person too.
“He is easy to talk to and he jokes a lot.I haven’t known him for so long, but my first impression is good.”
Takeover regret
Newcastle United were on the radar of Jim Ratcliffe as he looked for a Premier League club to invest in.
His brother Bob Ratcliffe, of INEOS football, confirmed Newcastle was talked about but said the cost of the club and the potential problems of breaking into the top six made it a non-starter.
“We looked at the valuation of Premiership clubs and £5billion in revenues for the Premier League and top six clubs being valued at £2bn and upwards, and £450 (million) of net profit before tax,” Ratcliffe said.
“(It’s) pretty difficult to rationalise purchases in the Premier League at this time for us and then, if you look below the top six, they’re all £150m and above and you’re going to write a cheque for £50m and get in the ‘Everton Cup’.
“Obviously people talked to us about Newcastle as well. But again you come back to a valuation in the hundreds of millions and it’s very difficult to contemplate. We’ve got a three to five-year project in Nice now and that’s going to keep us very busy.”
As we reported this weekend, intermediaries have been asking about Newcastle and the club is still on sale. .
