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Sort out the midfield by Craig Doyle

The midfield hasn't performed all season, lacks creativity, lacks pace and precision and seems to get dominated when pitted against rather average looking opposition. Here are the options to be targeted in the summer transfer window.

Discuss in our fans forum.

I need to clarify straight away that this article is not intended to be a full on opinion that brings up the players I feel we should sign, but rather to identify possibilities and highlight some of the stories linking us to other players in the press. In the process I’ve tried to maintain a ‘feet on the ground’ approach and discard the silliest of rumours (Ronaldinho, Kaka) in favour of pursuing the stories that keep cropping up in the press or players who are looking to engineer themselves a move from their current clubs.

With victories over Fulham and Spurs in recent weeks, the very real fear of relegation has been lifted and everyone associated with Newcastle United is now able to relax a little and start to cast an eye towards summer plans. Those of us who are a little more astute may look back over last season and start to consider the possible avenues the club could take to improving the squad for next season. And believe me, those of us who have been writing articles for the best part of the season only need look back and review their own words to know that improvement is necessary.

I think the first point of interest before I start naming names is to consider how Kevin Keegan will approach the new season from a tactical viewpoint. Will he continue to try and play 4-3-3 with Martins & Owen supporting a big man striker in a method that gets the best out of all 3 players? Perhaps he'll plan for playing 4-4-2, taking into account the fact that Owen is still very susceptible to injuries that can see him sidelined for the long term.

While I could suggest new arrivals all over the park I would have to invest a lot more time in research than I have available at this moment in time. Instead I wish to focus on an area of the field which I feel has been a key failing at the club since the days when Souness was at the helm. The midfield. Hasn't performed all season, lacks creativity, the wingers couldn't cross the road, lacks pace and precision and seems to get dominated when pitted against rather average looking opposition. Not that previous seasons were a huge improvement. The combination of Parker and Emre never quite reached the level of expectation and out wide we never found a player to match the calibre of the departed Nol Solano. Almost everything I'd expect from a Newcastle United midfield has been lacking for some time. The quality of ball delivered at set pieces is abysmal at best. Simple, but important, tasks such as getting shots in on goal are not being undertaken and even the basic skills of passing and moving are not being applied properly. I feel that after several years of misdirection, now would be the ideal time to reinvent and reinvigorate our midfield with the addition of some fresh faces.

The basis for a good midfield is to strike a strong balance between creativity and industry. At the moment we seem to have plenty of ball winners but few real football players.

Jimmy Bullard – Fulham

With Fulham almost certain to be playing Championship football next season it seems clear that Bullard will be looking to depart and find himself a new club in the top tier. From what I’ve seen he operates a similar game to Nicky Butt, however he offers more going forward and looks very comfortable on the ball. Many supporters have turned their nose up at the suggestion of Bullard with comments about him not being good enough to play for the club and the idea that he only shines because he is in such a poor side at the moment. Bullard would bring a lot of flexibility to the midfield. His hard working style of play means he could be deployed in a 3 or 4 man midfield without finding himself out of his depth. His attitude towards shooting from long range would be a welcome bonus to a strike shy midfield and his ability to take a decent set piece would surely be an improvement on watching our current crop waste upwards of ten corners a game. The main concern surrounding Bullard is the horrific double injury he suffered at SJP back in 2006. Not only did he endure a dislocated knee cap but also knee ligament damage that kept him out of action for well over a year. Recent reports from the tabloid press are now claiming Bullard will stay with Fulham even if they are relegated. Whether those reports are based on actual quotes from the player or not could end up being irrelevant if the club needs to sell as he is one of the few sellable assets they possess.
Price Range - £6M

Rafael Van Der Vaart – Hamburg

Van Der Vaart was one of several young Dutch stars tipped for a big future during his early days at Ajax. An attacking central midfielder with an impressive goal tally, he looked set to be another product of excellence departing the Ajax youth academy. With a range of passing, Van Der Vaart has that Gerrard like ability to take control of a game and make things happen for himself and others around him. The last few seasons have seen him at Hamburg, regaining his form and fitness after sustaining several injuries at Ajax and a complete dip in form that the media suggested may be related to late night parties, linked to his TV presenter girlfriend of the time. Now married to the same girl, and having started a family, Van Der Vaart seems to have settled down and turned himself into the influential player he always looked like becoming. Recent indications are that he’d like to depart Hamburg for a new challenge and perhaps the Premiership may be his destination. While Chelsea have been mentioned the likelihood of such a move is minimal when you look at the players they already have available to them. Similar can be said for majority of the top tier European clubs leaving the door open for second tier sides like Newcastle. While we don’t have the attraction of European football at present we do know that we are able to put up the big wages and offer high level football in what could become a strong squad.
Price Range - £5M-£8M (pending contract status)

Andrey Arshavin – Zenit St Petersburg

Arshavin is the much mentioned Russian playmaker that Allardyce reportedly had interest in signing. He is currently playing under Dick Advocaat with FC Zenit in the Russian top flight. While creativity is what Allardyce was seeking, Arshavin also brings versatility, allowing for deployment as a second striker or winger when the situation requires it. His performances for Zenit have earned him much praise from Russian media and sports writers but as with much of the Russian game, little of that news ever reaches our shores. I personally haven’t seen a lot of Arshavin, not through choice but due to the fact that the only time he has been on show with his club was in the unimpressive UEFA cup fixture against Everton at Goodison Park, which was ruined by a poor refereeing decision resulting in a Zenit player being sent off early in the match. He also popped up in the Euro 2008 qualifiers against England and I felt he looked the part playing the role of the architect in the second fixture. It is questionable how well a Russian player would fair in the Premier League. Smertin arrived with the tag of ‘best player in Russia’ and after several seasons I’ve seen nothing to suggest he is anything above Championship quality. Similarly Kherzakov, once linked to Newcastle, joined Sevilla last year with the label of being a Michael Owen type striker that would bring goals. The reality of the situation was another under performing Russian in a big league, who eventually picked up his ball and went home. Perhaps Arshavin has the quality to prove that Russians can perform on the big stage.
Price Range - £7M

David Albelda - Valencia

Albelda is an experience holding midfielder, having played at the highest level in Spain for the last ten years. Up until midway through the season he featured regularly for Valencia as club captain as well as the Spanish national side. The introduction of Ronald Koeman as new club coach at Valencia quickly ended up with Albelda and several other players being forced out of the squad completely in a bizarre turn of events. Neither Koeman nor the board at Valencia have explained the reasoning behind the decisions but the effects have caused Albelda to take up arms against the club, who still hold his contract until 2011, claiming ‘mistreatment’. Albelda has a range of abilities that I believe make him a better option than those we have available right now. The first being that unlike the defensive midfielders we have right now, Albelda tends more towards the holding role. He is well suited to having the ball at his feet and is much more able when it comes to passing the ball. Having seen him play in the Valencia setup before his exile, I would say he is very much suited to a counter attacking style of football. He appears to possess the stamina to get himself up and down the pitch for the duration of a match, supporting both the defense and the attack. He can be compared to a Hugo Viana or Emre in style. He wants to sit in deep and pass the ball but he has more drive and bite to his game. Two qualities that I feel are enhanced by his desire to lead by example and influence the teammates around him into performing to the best of their abilities. I think the massive question surrounding Albelda is what exactly Valencia plan to do with him. They don’t want to sell him off to another Spanish club on the cheap and the longer the player is inactive the less attractive he becomes to other clubs, especially now that he has reached 30. Maybe Valencia would be more open to letting Albelda leave Spain at a more realistic fee than they’d expect a Spanish club to offer? If so, then Albelda would certainly be worth enquiring about.
Price Range – £6M-£15M

Miguel Angulo – Valencia

Angulo is the other outfield player that Ronald Koeman has seen fit to turn into an outcast at Valencia. Knocking on the door of 31 he is no young star, but that shouldn’t count against him as he offers great adaptability at what could be a cut price. Never a permanent starter during his ten years at Valencia, Angulo favoured an attacking midfield role but has also appeared on the right side of midfield and offered his services at right back when called upon. His work is perhaps his most admirable asset and is likely what earned him great respect among the Valencia fans. The situation surrounding Angulo is different to that of Albelda in that there are no known issues with him moving to another Spanish club. The player is sure to be available in the summer should Ronald Koeman remain at the Mestalla and I feel he offers up a good option as a reliable squad player. However, I’m not convinced he’d be the sort of player Keegan would opt for in order to improve his current squad.
Price Range - £5M

Luka Modric – Dinamo Zagreb

Modric is a 22 year old Croatian playmaker with tremendous potential. He has been living under the radar playing with Dinamo Zagreb for the last few seasons but is slowly starting to turn heads across Europe after several fine performances for the Croatian national side. What I like most about Modric is that he differs from most creative type players in regards to the fact that he won’t be put off his game by the opposition giving him a kicking. Perhaps an attribute of his game that can be credited to his early career in the Bosnian league. Modric is also gifted with the ability to play with both feet and is known for his awareness of finding space both on and off the ball. Like other Eastern European stars it is difficult to keep tabs on Modric as there is so little coverage available to us in the UK. I can’t recall him featuring heavily against England but his recent appearance in a friendly at Hampden saw him influence the midfield areas against a very defensive Scotland side. If we intend to place a bid for Modric then moving as quickly as possible is essential. The European Championships as just around the corner and Modric looks set to be the star attraction within the Croatian camp and could easily put himself in the shop window.
Price Range - £10M

Scott Brown – Celtic

The 22 year old Scottish midfielder has been linked on and off with Newcastle United and several other clubs since he made the switch from Hibernian to Celtic for just over £4M in 2007. A move which I personally feel lacked ambition given the options available to him at the time. I’m very conflicted in my own opinion of Brown. On one hand he is a fantastic talent and one of the few real stars of Scottish football at present. He is both hard working and gifted with the ability to operate with the ball at his feet. However he has displayed a tendency to disappear from matches when he isn’t on form and can become almost a passenger of sorts. A further downside to his game is that he often needlessly involves himself in controversy when he could easily stand by idly and keep out of trouble. He also has that fiery personality that makes him similar to Joey Barton in temperament. In games I’ve watched he has been hacked down by a couple of bad challenges and chosen to display his frustration by retaliating with one of his own instead of staying in control of his emotions. If Brown were to become available and the price to remain at something similar to the fee Celtic paid out for him then he would represent good value for money and the risk could prove to be worth the reward.
Price Range - £5M

Ruben de la Red – Getafe/Real Madrid

De la Red is a name that many may not have heard of. The 22 year old Spanish midfielder is currently playing with Getafe on a two year deal however he has some sort of clause inserted in his current contract that would allow Real Madrid to repurchase him at a previously agreed set fee. While there has been no link between Newcastle and the player I felt he warranted inclusion on this list as he is one of the up and coming talents in La Liga and displays a lot of the qualities a player would need to become successful in this league. De la Red is a defensive midfield by nature but he has an element of the playmaker skill. He can easily be compared with an Emre or Hugo Viana type player who likes to sit deep and play the ball but with the significant difference being that this guy can tackle properly. I’d like to see Newcastle explore the option of cutting their ties with Emre and replacing him with a fitter and more aggressive player like da le Red. Unfortunately, recent showings against Barcelona and Bayern Munich are likely to be enough to convince Real Madrid that they were wrong to part with the player in the first place and should see him back at the Bernabau over the summer.
Price Range – £6M (pending availability)

Deco – Barcelona

The little Portuguese ‘magician’ has been linked with Newcastle several times over the last twelve months. Many newspapers claimed that the 30 year old attacking midfielder and playmaker was looking to leave Barcelona in search of regular football and would become the jewel in Allardyce’s crown. No such deal ever materialised and it left Allardyce with a rather flat looking midfield devoid of any creativity. The mention of Deco’s name raises a few eyebrows and starts asking the question of whether he’s just another star on his way out looking for one last payday. While his pedigree is undoubted there are questions over what he could bring to Newcastle and if he ticks all the boxes when it comes to looking at what we need. He will bring the goalscoring opportunities and create chances for strikers but he is not the type of player who finds himself on the scoresheet as often as some of the other attacking midfielders that we could pursue. But like so many others with a negative in one area, Deco brings a positive in another and his case it is willingness to get stuck into midfield battles and challenge for the ball that gives his game that extra dimension, making him a favourable choice for any team. Recent rumours being circulated by the tabloid press suggest that Keegan has taken up the interest shown by Allardyce and is competing with likes of Spurs to attract the interest of the player. With no European football on offer at the present it is being suggested that the club would be willing to shell out in excess of £100K per week to bring Deco to Tyneside. Not something I’d be keen on when younger options are available at less of a cost.
Price Range - £12M

Joao Moutinho – Sporting Clube de Portugal

The Sun writes that if Deco is not interested in moving to Tyneside then Keegan is likely to shift his focus to another Portuguese star in Joao Moutinho. The 21 year old Sporting Lisbon skipper featured against Newcastle a few seasons back in the UEFA cup and turned in a man of the match performance on a night that saw us eliminated from the competition in Lisbon. A playmaker by nature but also a right winger when required Moutinho offers plenty in terms of flexibility. Moutinho has been on display several times this season against Bolton & Rangers but also in the Champions League where he played in the losses to Manchester United. I have to admit that I wasn’t looking out for him at the time and he didn’t stand out therefore I have no real first hand experience of seeing him play. What I can say though is that Sporting seem to have a very defensive setup but like most Portuguese teams they pass the ball very effectively, while lacking in end product. Moutinho apparently only has 4 goals in the league this season where Sporting are well off the pace. By my calculation that leaves him one goal better off than the attacking dynamo that is Nicky Butt. I suspect that Keegan sees assists and his potential to be a good passer of the ball as the reason for the rumoured interest.
Price Range - £8M

Jose Antonio Reyes – Atletico Madrid

The daily rumours among the tabloids seem to have concocted this story as a means of passing the time until the transfer window opens and gives them some real news to report. Reyes, is of course the young Spanish winger who played at Arsenal for a few seasons. Despite showing great talent he left under a bit of cloud claiming homesickness, the climate and ‘bad people’ at Arsenal as reasons for wanting to return to Spain. His loan spell at Real Madrid didn’t earn him a permanent deal and his move to Atletico has resulted in few first team opportunities with Reyes having to wait in line behind emerging talents such as Aguero and established stars like Forlan and Simao. His lack of inclusion in the first team could also hint at a greatly reduced transfer fee that would eliminate a great deal of the risk involved. I would certainly be willing to give Reyes the chance to move to Tyneside and relaunch his career but only if he could demonstrate both a physical and mental toughness similar to that shown by Arteta at Everton. Reyes would have to mature quickly and settle into the local area. This adaption would also require a tolerance to the colder weather up north and the fact that he’d be faced with ‘bad people’ like Joey Barton every morning in training. If a youngster like Jose Enrique can integrate himself into our setup and way of life then there is still hope for Reyes.
Price Range - £6M

David Bentley – Blackburn Rovers

The first thing I will say about Mr Bentley is that he appears to be a very ambitious young man. While it is fantastic to see a player with ambition, his forwardness with his intentions won’t make him many friends. Over the last couple of seasons Bentley has put his own name on the map as a right winger with the ability to produce superb long range strikes. Over the last six months he has gone a little further and thrown his name into the hat to compete with Shaun Wright-Phillips and Aaron Lennon as a possible replacement for David Beckham in the England squad. His outspoken opinions against the England camp may hamper those dreams in the short term. His current club status is also unknown after making several comments suggesting that he’d like to leave Blackburn with an eye on finding himself European football on a regular basis. Again, rather bold but I have to wonder if Bentley is really trying to engineer himself a move to a Liverpool or Spurs for footballing reasons or if he is considering his financial future and putting the feelers out to see what sort of deal he could land himself. An enquiry about Bentley’s availability and interests would be worthwhile as he has proven that he can contribute to a mid table side with both goals and assists and you never know what could happen when the money is put on the table.
Price Range - £15M

Aaron Lennon – Tottenham Hotspur

Another candidate for the England national team and the much sought after right wing slot. Lennon is currently with Spurs but recent reports have suggested that he does not feature in the future plans of Juande Ramos and could end up surplus to requirements as the season comes to a close. I consider Lennon’s pace to be the one defining attribute that sets him apart from what we have at our disposal. Like our wingers he seems to struggle to find the correct cross on a regular basis and I can understand why that frustrates the Tottenham fans. I’m not sure about the quoted £10M price tag either. If Ramos has decided that Lennon isn’t good enough for Spurs then how can he justify selling a player with such a high price tag? The tabloids are already touting Newcastle as a possible destination for the young England star and that concerns me greatly. At £10M I feel we should approach Lennon with caution and if Spurs aren’t willing to budge on the price then we need to look elsewhere for wingers.
Price Range - £8M-£10M

Aiden McGeady - Celtic

McGeady is another name that found its way onto the back page of the daily tabloids towards the tail end of the January transfer window. Since then, it has been reported that Keegan and McDermott have both made personal visits to Celtic Park in order to watch over the young winger in person. Despite early interest from Keegan it has been reported that McDermott was less than impressed after a personal viewing. Terry Mac echoed my own opinion when it was reported he found McGeady to be wasteful in possession of the ball, lacking the ability to deliver a good cross and spending far too much time cutting inside defenders as opposed to heading towards the touchline. In his favour, McGeady has plenty of pace and is still young, but I seriously doubt that Newcastle will consider matching his £10M asking price that Celtic can only be quoting to scare off potential suitors.
Price Range - £10M

John Arne Riise - Liverpool

Riise is yet another name that has been floated around in several papers with supposed mentions of unhappiness at not being a regular fixture in the side. While he has started twenty games this season he has frequently under performed and Benitez may be looking to move him on in favour of playing Benayoun or bringing in someone else. Riise attributes are well known to most so I’ll not dwell on them too much. The bonus of bringing in Riise would be that he can provide cover at a fullback position if asked to. He also has a wicked shot and isn’t afraid to have a go from long range. Personally I don’t think Riise is the type of signing that would go down well with many fans. It would be seen as admitting how big the gulf is between Liverpool and Newcastle and by accepting one of their cast offs we’d be seen as lacking in ambition and drive. I’d also think that Liverpool would only be willing to sell to another Premiership side at a substantial financial gain and unfortunately that would be enough to turn our heads the other way.
Price Range - £6M

Samir Nasri – Olympique Marseille

The 21 year old French starlet has already been branded as the ‘new Zidane’ and ironically is rumoured to be joining Liverpool in the summer as a replacement for the man above. He is already considered as one of the best midfielders in France and therefore obvious tabloid rumours have linked him with about every club under the sun. In my opinion the hype surrounding Nasri is more based around his Algerian descent and hence obvious comparison to Zidane than his footballing ability. I’ll confess to having only seen him in action twice. On the first occasion against Liverpool and as a substitute for France against Scotland in Paris. I wasn’t impressed by either turnout as I was expecting a player who would stamp his influence on the game or at least display some of the quality that he is rumoured to have in abundance. The brief flashes of skill and quick feet did however suggest promise and I must assume that Ligue 1 viewers are treated to more regular occurrences. While he has disappointed when he has had my audience I’m willing to accept I’ve caught him up against Liverpool and Scotland at their best, nullifying the effect he has had on the game. Keegan has gone French before and had success and for that reason I’d back him in doing so again.
Price Range - £12M

If the door was open for me to sign any of these players I’d be rather ambitious and target Luka Modric or Van Der Vaart as first choice for the attacking option in the middle of the park. Bentley would be my initial target for right side as he has the experience of the Premiership under his belt. Unfortunately I have not been able to draw up a list of quality left sided men and I’m still on the hunt for bargains or undiscovered talents.

Discuss in our fans forum.