Scottish Mag 3 Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 Titus Bramble will travel to Portsmouth for a medical this week as he looks to complete a free transfer switch, but Pompey are determined to ensure Sol Campbell does not travel in the opposite direction. New Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce, like his predecessor Glenn Roeder, is keen to sign Campbell after an impressive first season with the South Coast club. But his Portsmouth counterpart Harry Redknapp is adamant the former England international is not going anywhere. Redknapp has conducted a lengthy pursuit of Bramble since he became available on a Bosman-style free transfer in January and has told the former United defender - who was officially released by Allardyce last week - that he will be playing alongside Campbell at Fratton Park next season. Indeed, the presence of Campbell is a major reason why Bramble decided to sign for Portsmouth, despite interest from Scottish giants Celtic, Premiership outfit Fulham and newly-promoted Birmingham City. The former Ipswich prospect had also been monitored by Newcastle's North-East neighbours Sunderland, but had wanted to make a clean break from the region after his relationship with United's supporters deteriorated this season. There have been suggestions that Campbell is desperate to move to St James's Park as Pompey failed to qualify for Europe, but Redknapp believes he has persuaded the former Arsenal and Tottenham star - who Roeder turned down the opportunity to sign last summer - to stay on the South Coast. Contrary to some reports, Redknapp has also insisted that Campbell signed a two-year contract when he moved to Pompey last summer and is not available on a free transfer. Redknapp, who will reject any offers from Premiership rivals for the 31-year-old, is also looking to recruit former Newcastle defender Sylvain Distin, who is also available on a free transfer from Manchester City. Instead, Allardyce is likely to focus his attention on Israeli international Tal Ben Haim who played under him at Bolton. The centre-back is out of contract and, although he has been linked with Chelsea and been offered an improved deal at the Reebok Stadium, he has told his advisors he favours a move to Newcastle. Ben Haim was booked nine times last season and was also sent off once, but Allardyce believes his no-nonsense approach is exactly what Newcastle's defence needs. Ben Haim is not the only Bolton player interesting their former manager, with forward Nicolas Anelka, right-back Nicky Hunt and captain Kevin Nolan also possible targets. He is also keen to recruit Bolton's highly-rated performance director Mike Ford as the first member of the extensive backroom team he wants to build at St James's Park, and the 31-year-old could be on Tyneside by the end of the month. Nolan, though, has responded to the speculation linking him with a move to Newcastle by insisting he does not want to leave the North-West. Meanwhile, former Newcastle assistant manager Kevin Bond has labelled United chairman Freddie Shepherd a hypocrite for appointing Allardyce as manager. Bond, now manager of League One Bournemouth, was sacked by United last year after he was included in the same Panorama documentary which alleged Allardyce was involved in corrupt activity in football. The former Pompey coach is suing the BBC for the implications they made in the programme, as well as Newcastle for unfair dismissal and he attacked his former employers over the weekend in the wake of Allardyce's arrival. He said: "Morals and integrity are things people stand on when it suits them and they go right out of the window when it doesn't. It was easy for Freddy to take the moral high ground with me, it suits him to take the opposite stance with Sam because he believes - as I do - that Sam is the man for Newcastle United." Newcastle will play Celtic in a pre-season friendly at St James' Park on July 26. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombadil 0 Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 I hope they're right about Ben Haim. Wouldn't mind Campbell either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinofbeans 91 Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 too right, just because campbells getting on a bit doesn't make him a bad player. distin won't be coming back, he'll be off to pompey, its a shame as he is a good player, we should have tried to keep him when he was here first time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammynb 3653 Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 I hope they're right about Ben Haim. Wouldn't mind Campbell either. I'd rather we didn't pay a fee for a player we should have signed for free last season. And as good as Campbell is, if we can get Ben Haim on a bosman, wouldn't the club be better off spending money on a good younger but established defender? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isegrim 10033 Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 Hofland is apparently about to leave Wolfsburg with Leverkusen interested. With only one year remaining on his contract they reckon he'll cost a fee of around 2-4m Euro. Would be a decent option as well imho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombadil 0 Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 Hofland is apparently about to leave Wolfsburg with Leverkusen interested. With only one year remaining on his contract they reckon he'll cost a fee of around 2-4m Euro. Would be a decent option as well imho. Speaking of Bundesliga defenders, Magnin has had a really good season and said that he'd consider a move abroad, probably wouldn't cost too much either. I think he could do well in England. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isegrim 10033 Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 Hofland is apparently about to leave Wolfsburg with Leverkusen interested. With only one year remaining on his contract they reckon he'll cost a fee of around 2-4m Euro. Would be a decent option as well imho. Speaking of Bundesliga defenders, Magnin has had a really good season and said that he'd consider a move abroad, probably wouldn't cost too much either. I think he could do well in England. Yep, he was absolutely amazing in the second half of the season after he had lost his place to Boka who was incredible in the first half. I wouldn't mind either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammynb 3653 Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 Hofland is apparently about to leave Wolfsburg with Leverkusen interested. With only one year remaining on his contract they reckon he'll cost a fee of around 2-4m Euro. Would be a decent option as well imho. Wasn't SBR interested in Hofland when he moved to Germany? Wolfgang have you seen any games where Michael Beauchamp has played for Nurmberg. No I'm not suggesting Newcastle buy him, I'm just interested because he's highly rated by the Australian media and I've seen nothing to justify it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isegrim 10033 Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 Hofland is apparently about to leave Wolfsburg with Leverkusen interested. With only one year remaining on his contract they reckon he'll cost a fee of around 2-4m Euro. Would be a decent option as well imho. Wasn't SBR interested in Hofland when he moved to Germany? Wolfgang have you seen any games where Michael Beauchamp has played for Nurmberg. No I'm not suggesting Newcastle buy him, I'm just interested because he's highly rated by the Australian media and I've seen nothing to justify it. Not a lot, I think he was mostly poor tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Shearer Is God 0 Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 too right, just because campbells getting on a bit doesn't make him a bad player. distin won't be coming back, he'll be off to pompey, its a shame as he is a good player, we should have tried to keep him when he was here first time. We did, but he decided that Citeh was going to be the best club for him because they were offering him a couple of grand extra a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetleftpeg 0 Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 Aye, the onlt person to blame for Distin going to City is Distin. Robson himself said the fucker had done the club over on the sly, using us as shop window to prove he was decent then just fucking off to the highest bidder. Greedy twat, hope he fuckin rots at Pompey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig 6703 Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 Distin and Bramble off to Pompey??? This season's achievements aren't likely to be repeated then. Must make Sol feel uneasy, be class if we swapped the pair of them. Bring in Ben Haim too and we've got the makings of a decent back line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig 6703 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Just chatting to one of the blokes who works in our Networks team. He's an ex-pro who was on Spurs' books as a kid and played for Crystal Palace and Southend and is big mates with Sol Campbell. He was speaking to him last week and got on to the discussion of his future. Apparently we have approached Portsmouth about his availability and that they've agreed a fee with us. It's now down to Sol and he's currently weighing up whether he wants to move north or stay close to his family. Make of that what you may but I'm certainly intrigued... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papa Lazaru 0 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Just chatting to one of the blokes who works in our Networks team. He's an ex-pro who was on Spurs' books as a kid and played for Crystal Palace and Southend and is big mates with Sol Campbell. He was speaking to him last week and got on to the discussion of his future. Apparently we have approached Portsmouth about his availability and that they've agreed a fee with us. It's now down to Sol and he's currently weighing up whether he wants to move north or stay close to his family. Make of that what you may but I'm certainly intrigued... Sounds plausible to be fair. Theres a good chance Big Sam would fancy getting a good year or two out of Campbell and use his experience to help our back 4 and give Taylor somebody to learn from. And i could well see Campbell having to decide whether he wants to uproot and head north when he's already settled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig 6703 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Aye, Nathan's not one to bullshit about something like this - had I heard it from anyone else I'd have replied "aye, whatever..." but I did know he was mates with a load of the Spurs kids from that era. I honestly thought Sol was a non-starter and I'm shocked if Pompey have agreed a fee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark 0 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Apparently Viduka, Ben Haim, Sol, Barton and Hyypia are all done deals, from various ITK posters on here and NO. Transfer window opens on friday doesnt it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig 6703 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Well going by what he's said, I don't think the Sol deal is done yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kelly 1282 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Apparently Viduka, Ben Haim, Sol, Barton and Hyypia are all done deals, from various ITK posters on here and NO. Transfer window opens on friday doesnt it? I can't see us going for Ben Haim, Campbell & Hyypia but that lot would be a hell of a start to rebuilding the squad with a fairly minimal outlay. (If it were true of course!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney 0 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 A Pool mate of mine said today that Hyypia was going to stay for another year at Anfield. I'd be suprised to see us getting both Campbell and Sami.............. HYYPIA HAS NO PLANS TO LEAVE Jimmy Rice 30 May 2007 Sami Hyypia insists he has no plans to leave Liverpool despite speculation linking him with a summer move. And the Finnish defender says he has been assured of his future at the club by boss Rafa Benitez. "Rafa said, 'We are happy with you and you are not for sale.' I will go back to Liverpool in July for pre-season training,” said Hyypia. "Next season will be my ninth in Liverpool and I still have one year left on my current contract." Hyypia is currently back in his homeland preparing for Euro 2008 qualifiers against Serbia and Belgium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggio 0 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Hyypia's past it anyway, Campbell is a much better option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinofbeans 91 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 hyppia's off to wigan according to the beeb. whilst great in the air his pace is completely gone. not good enough tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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