Newcastle reluctant to spend again in JanuaryExclusive: Despite team's struggles, Steve McClaren may have to sell to buy in the January transfer window
By Luke Edwards7:18PM GMT 30 Nov 2015
Steve McClaren may have to sell to buy in the January transfer window, despite his team wallowing in the relegation zone, as the first signs of tension emerge in his relationship with the club’s hierarchy.
McClaren has always maintained it would take at least three transfer windows for the team to be strengthened enough for him to meet owner Mike Ashley’s expectation of a top eight finish.
But Telegraph Sport understands
the club are reluctant to spend in the winter window as it does not offer value for money and Ashley believes the team should be far higher up the league, given he sanctioned the signing of almost £54m worth of talent in the summer.
The arrival of Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Florian Thuavin, Chancel Mbemba and Ivan Toney made Newcastle the fifth highest net spenders in European football, but the team continue to look unmotivated, as well as ill-equipped to succeed in English football.
Journalists have been told not to ask players about transfers and McClaren, who has claimed in the past that the club would be active in every transfer window while he is head coach, is also now avoiding discussing anything to do with recruitment.
Newcastle appear to be in desperate need of reinforcement in the New Year, but the reluctance to spend may also indicate Ashley is starting to question McClaren’s future as head coach.
There has been no indication from either him or Managing Director Lee Charnley that his job is under threat at this stage, but if Newcastle remain in the bottom three at Christmas, they may have to act ruthlessly.
Steve McClaren may get more time
At the moment, Charnley, who is in charge of the day-to-day running of the club, believes McClaren deserves more time, but it is clear more was expected from him and his position will be reviewed if things do not improve.
Having only saved themselves from relegation on the final day of last season, Newcastle are second from bottom in the Premier League and there has been little, if any progress, on the pitch since McClaren arrived in June.
However, it is important to stress that the former England manager did not have a say on any of the players who arrived in the summer. He also inherited a dressing room full of players who either are not good enough to take Newcastle back into the top eight or believe they are too good to remain on Tyneside.
Papiss Cisse could be sold in January
McClaren would like to sign a new spine for the team in January, starting with a centre-back, a midfielder and a centre forward. He would also prefer it if they had plenty of experience in English football and a loan move for Tottenham Hotspur winger Andros Townsend has also been discussed.
However, it is looking increasingly unlikely the club will allow him to spend enough money to make three new signings which means he would have to raise additional funds through player sales.
That is likely to mean the Magpies are willing to listen to offers for both Moussa Sissoko and Ayoze Perez in January. Sissoko has never been consistent enough in a Newcastle shirt and McClaren, having insisted the club held on to him in the summer, is running out of patience with the France international.
Ayoze Perez has been linked with the likes of Manchester United
McClaren would like to fill the dressing room with players who genuinely want to be at the club, although the sale of Perez would be more controversial as he is popular and has the potential to become a leading Premier League striker. However, he is far from the finished article, is ambitious and has been linked with a number of clubs, including Manchester United and Tottenham, in the last few weeks.
Papiss Cisse, Yoan Gouffran and Sylvain Marveaux could also be sold, while Mike Williamson’s loan move to Wolverhampton Wanderers should become permanent.
英冠見……
下季可以 cancel 埋 now，以後唔駛再煩睇波了……
[ 此帖被火鳳凰在2015-12-01 13:31重新編輯 ]
