Magpies focus on European targets

30 June 2014 10:01

Alan Pardew has admitted Newcastle will concentrate on Europe rather than Britain as they look for value for money in the summer transfer market.

The Magpies have looked to the continent, and France in particular, in recent years for reinforcements having refused to pay premium rates for home-grown players.

Manchester United's £30million capture of Southampton full-back Luke Shaw and Liverpool's ongoing £25million pursuit of Adam Lallana are cases in point, while even at a more modest level, Hull paid Tottenham £8million for Jake Livermore and struck a deal which would eventually amount to much the same figure with Norwich for Robert Snodgrass.

Pardew told the Shields Gazette: "The fees being paid for players such as Luke Shaw and, it seems, Adam Lallana, illustrate an important point that supporters need to understand.

"Clubs like Newcastle get accused of not signing English players, but these are prices mid-table teams in the Premier League simply cannot afford, unlike Champions League clubs with their extra revenue.

"We recently inquired about an unproven player not in the side at one of our top clubs, and we were asked [for] £14million. He will not be joining.

"Yet we can pick up players such as Yohan Cabaye, Mathieu Debuchy and Moussa Sissoko for reasonable fees, all of whom have been starring for France at the World Cup."

Cabaye, Debuchy and Sissoko cost Newcastle a combined total of around £11million, with Cabaye leaving for Paris St Germain in January for around £19million.

The Magpies, armed with chief scout Graham Carr's knowledge of the European market, have been active on that front once again this summer having landed 20-year-old Tenerife striker Ayoze Perez and entered into discussions over a series of potential targets.

Ironically, their only other signing to date is Sunderland's Academy graduate midfielder Jack Colback, who has joined the club as a free agent.

However, Pardew's squad needs significant further strengthening with strikers a priority.

Bafetimbi Gomis was in their sights before Swansea came up with a more financial package which better suited the players, and their interest in Hertha Berlin's Pierre-Michel Lasogga is ongoing.

They are understood too to be monitoring Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette's situation, while they are hoping to make progress on Montpellier midfielder Remy Cabella on his return from the World Cup finals.

In the meantime, the club are bracing themselves for offers for some of their key players with full-back Debuchy and keeper Tim Krul having been linked with moves away from St James' Park this summer.

But having sold Cabaye for rather less than they had hoped, there is little chance of any potential suitor getting a bargain this time around.

Source: PA