Newcastle prepare for unhappy Jenas..

[Scottish Mag 3]

NEWCASTLE UNITED believe that Jermaine Jenas is on the verge of submitting a transfer request. While the club have maintained that the England midfield player is not for sale — placing a restrictive £20 million valuation on him — Jenas has become increasingly unsettled at St James’ Park and there is a growing recognition that a separation may best suit both parties.

Arsenal and Manchester United retain a longstanding interest in the 22-year-old, but Tottenham Hotspur are the only club to have made a substantive inquiry this summer; it remains to be seen whether that interest is intact. Steve McClaren, the Middlesbrough manager, is also an admirer of the player, who joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest for £5 million in 2002.

 

 

 

A bid of £10 million would probably be sufficient to secure his signature, which is significantly higher than Tottenham, who have just signed Edgar Davids, would wish to pay. “J.J. is a good lad and a good player,” a senior Newcastle source said, “but there has been a lot of speculation about his future and we feel he may have been affected by it.” Yet by asking to move, Jenas would forfeit any loyalty payment.

 

In an ideal world, Newcastle would hope to push up the price for a talented young footballer who has been capped 12 times by his country. Arsène Wenger has spoken about his regard for Jenas, for whom London is apparently the preferred destination, but has not taken the matter farther.

 

Tyneside was awash with rumours on Wednesday night that Jenas had been involved in a heated argument with Graeme Souness after being asked to play at full back in the Intertoto Cup defeat by Deportivo La Coruña should Stephen Carr have failed a fitness test, but that allegation has been denied. “This is absolute nonsense,” Souness said.

 

While there has been no row, there is frustration that Jenas has missed matches owing to niggling injuries and Souness is confident that, in Emre Belözoglu and Scott Parker, he has signed two quality midfield players. He does not wish to lose Jenas, but would not demur if he was permitted to use the funds to bolster a depleted squad.

 

That eventuality is proving easier said than done, however, and Newcastle’s previous optimism that Luis Boa Morte would soon be following Emre, Parker and Craig Moore to Tyneside is dissipating rapidly. The Portugal winger is keen to move north, but his present employers are adamant that only one more player will be sold this summer and Steed Malbranque is now close to joining Manchester City.

 

Stuart Pearce, the City manager, has submitted an improved £5 million bid for Malbranque, which should be acceptable to Fulham and only the French midfield player’s personal terms would then stand in the way of a deal being completed. There are suggestions that Malbranque is not enthused about leaving London, yet Newcastle are bracing themselves for bad tidings regarding Boa Morte. “This is a big blow, ” the source said.

 

There have been several setbacks in recent days, including the team’s failure to qualify for the Uefa Cup. Newcastle have given up trying to persuade Michael Owen to leave Real Madrid for a season, Middlesbrough will resist their neighbours’ attempts to buy Mark Viduka unless Jenas is part of the equation and progress has been sluggish on Nicolas Anelka’s proposed transfer from Fenerbahçe.

 

If Jenas were to leave, nine senior professionals would have departed Newcastle since the end of last season, including Laurent Robert, Nicky Butt, Patrick Kluivert, Craig Bellamy and Aaron Hughes. There was one new face at the club yesterday when Francesco Coco, the 27-year-old full back, arrived at St James’ Park to discuss a one-year loan deal from Inter Milan.

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Not entirely suprising. Got to be satisfied with £10million+ for an unhappy player who has under performed for a couple of seasons I suppose.

Whats the source SM?

[Tooj 17]

The Times is it?

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27-1721962,00.html

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

I'm mentally preparing to read:

"Newcastle United are not a selling club but the offer was too good to refuse. We could not stand in the young mans way blah, blah blah...."

sometime in the next 48 hours

[Matt 0]

As far as the fans are concerned, this money is only any good if we get to spend it!

[Tooj 17]

another Keegan and Cole scenario with KK on the steps? but this time the fans praising Souness for somehow squeezing 10 million for JJ

[Alan Shearer Is God 0]

Lets hope that someone is stupid enough to still believe his hype and that he is a class up and coming youngster with the world as his feet!

Edited August 5, 2005 by Alan Shearer Is God

[Jackies the Lad 0]

I agree £10 mill is good for a player that is underperforming and has been in the last 2 seasons.

 

WHY?

Is it the continuing bad influence from model pros like Dyer and Bramble (Sourness' views of these 2 "proper" players) and their continuation to flaunt themselves and hit the Newcastle hotspots. Maybe not?

 

When he goes, and that will be soon, and is managed by a responsible manager, just watch his return to form and just watch him play out of his skin.

[chip2388 0]

If Jenas leaves and it means we get Anelka and Boa Morte then i'm for it.

[Jackies the Lad 0]

I would not mind at all, as long as the money gained from the sale was available to strengthen the squad.

 

My only other wish would be that we had someone sensible spending the money.

[wykikitoon 20150]

I'll be gutted tbh if he went. He is a young lad and given a decent bit of managment the good will come out of him. At hasnt helped him playing with shite and having stuff go off around him, as JJ seems rather level headed.

 

Oh well.

[Gemmill 44888]

If we spend the money before the end of August it'll be a good move. If we drag our heels, refuse to up our offers for certain players, and get to the end of August with the money still in the bank, any profit on the sale will probably go in a dividend. Big risk for Souness agreeing to any sale because there is no guarantee whatsoever that his chairman will allow him to use the funds to strengthen. And if he doesn't I think it'd be fair to say that he's hanging Souness out to dry, no matter what you think of Souness.

[Shearergol 0]

If Jenas leaves and it means we get Anelka and Boa Morte then i'm for it.

7702[/snapback]

 

 

We'd need to pay nearly £13m for Anelka, and Boa Morte won't leave Fulham if Malbranque does.

 

Prepare yourself for Keane and Fernadez.

[Jimbo 175]

I think we should let him go, but only for the right price.

[sweetleftpeg 0]

Bye.

[geordieshandy 0]

To Man U - 9mill plus a player

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My grans dog that once humped Souness' wifes leg told me

[sweetleftpeg 0]

I say take the money and run, very quickly.

[themags 0]

if we get £10million for Jenas it'll be the biggest rip since we sold Woodgate to Real

 

get rid of him roughly 3 good games in two seasons, you believe your own hype Jenas son

[Barney 0]

I'm quite suprised that throughout all of the Jenas -> Arsenal linkage (yes, it is a word), there's been no denial/comment from the player.

 

Add to that the rumours of Souness falling out with another player (Jenas), and I'd say that he's as good as gone.

[Guest alex]

I'm quite suprised that throughout all of the Jenas -> Arsenal linkage (yes, it is a word), there's been no denial/comment from the player.

 

Add to that the rumours of Souness falling out with another player (Jenas), and I'd say that he's as good as gone.

7757[/snapback]

To be fair though, Jenas seemed to be a little charva playboy who couldn't give a fuck when Robson was here.

[sweetleftpeg 0]

Well, he can go and be a little charv playboy who hides in Arsenal's midfield for £10m squid. One good thing about watching Parker the other night was highlighting just how far JJ has gone backwards.

[Phil K 0]

Notice that Jenas is getting a little impatient he hasnt been allowed to go. And Arsenal or whoever else may lose interest. Surely thats the real reason of the bust up with Souness that didnt happen - (yeah sure... ) I personally would like Newcastle to make sure this petulant shitbag ends up where he DOESN'T want to be. I'm sure theres ways and means.

I have always believed Jenas to be like this. Dyers apprentice after all.I had a large argument with Geordie Fish on this subject - GF believed that Jenas was quite within his rights to act like the overpayed underperforming turd he was, and I had said he would be off as soon as anyone whistled. And would continue missing loads of games and underperfoming when he DID.

Can I say I told you so now ?

[The Fish 10857]

I can see both sides here, JJ jasn't been performing to the level we expected from him and £10m is a fair price for the player that he could be. You have to wonder though, if managers of Wenger/Ferguson and Jol's calibre are interested.. maybe there is some talent in there after all?

 

He's certainly got the basis to be a great player, but seems 10% short in all areas. He certainly will not find that 10% working under these coaches and this manager,a dn he wont want to stick it out if the fans don't want him. He's still young and has I truly see the potential in him to be something special.

 

I'm not sure we're going to sell him before the window closes and if that's true I expect him to stay for another season under the new boss, whoever comes in at Xmas.

 

The problem for me is the reason he's leaving, he's not being sold for footballing reasons.. so all this talk about him not being good enough or underperofrming is not the reason he's going. It's a falling out with Souness by the sounds of things. Another one.

 

I think Jenas' major problem is that he never knew his role at the club, he wasn't a defensive midfielder who was ordered to hold in front fo the back four while more delicate midfielders surged forward, nor was he given license to roam and he certainly was not played alnog side a defensive midfielder and told to play from our box to theirs.

 

I'm a firm beliver that if you don't know your specific job, you will perform at all. That's why I prefer Keegan to Robson, Batty was clearly bought and instructed for one prupose, as was Ginola, Kilcline etc. How many players have we had that can play "anywhere", "Utility" players.. They're the jack of all trades and the masters on none. Jenas would have benefitted from a Batty or even prolonged appearances beaside Gary Speed in the center of the park. Told, "Jenas, you pick up the ball from Defender/Defensive Midfielder and you carry/pass/work the ball up to the strikers/attacking midfielders"

 

He's got the engine, he can tackle (if he wasn't so afraid of getting hurt or booked), he can pass, he's got good feet, he's got a shot, he's not pondersome and he's got more height than your average central midfielder.

 

He goes and we get £10m, fair enough.. he goes for £5m I'd be VERY disappointed in both Shepherd and Jenas. If, like I suspect, he stays for another season or so and he gets to play a consistant role in the first team then I reckon we'll see a marked improvement.

 

P.S. Freddy just stated that we've had no transfer request from JJ

[Rob W 0]

I think he has talent but he's always thought he could get it without application (and I don't mean just running about)

 

great players work at the weak spots in their game and I never had the impression he has

 

personally I think he'd do better on the continent where you get a bit more time to be fancy

[sweetleftpeg 0]

For a midfielder, he has very little impact on a game imo. He's not a bad player, but he's done nowt to justify being worth £10m. If we get offered that, take it.