Villa favourites in race to recruit troubled Martins

[Thespence]

The future at Newcastle United of Obafemi Martins is once more in doubt with two Premier League clubs – Manchester City and Aston Villa – having this week made formal inquiries about the 23-year-old Nigeria striker who has endured a troubled season under manager Sam Allardyce.

 

Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth are also monitoring the situation.

 

A stumbling block may be the price, because the £13m release clause in Martins' contract, the existence of which The Independent revealed last summer, has still not been removed, although negotiations have taken place with Newcastle, who appear to want to keep him. Villa are thought to be the only club prepared to meet that valuation, although it is understood that Martins would prefer a move to City.

 

Newcastle were holding talks yesterday to decide what to do about Martins and it will be interesting to see if he features in tomorrow's FA Cup tie away to Stoke City, which would lessen the likelihood of him being transferred. Nigeria coach Berti Vogts has said that Martins can delay meeting up with the rest of the squad for the African Cup of Nations until after next week's league game against Manchester United.

 

Martins arrived at St James's Park in August 2006, in a £10m move from Internazionale, and is understood to have grown increasingly frustrated under Allardyce and disillusioned by his tactics.

 

Martins scored 17 goals last season, including 11 in the Premier League, and is Newcastle's top-scorer with six goals so far in this campaign. He reacted angrily to being substituted during the recent away defeat to Chelsea, refusing even to acknowledge Allardyce's out-stretched hand.

 

Arsenal expressed an interest in Martins last summer, which is believed to have unsettled him, but did not follow it up and are no longer interested.

 

Villa have shown the firmest interest. Manager Martin O'Neill has made recruiting a striker his priority, and initially hoped to sign Liverpool's Peter Crouch, a move that now appears unlikely. Villa are also interested in Loris Arnaud, a 20-year-old with Paris St-Germain, who is out-of-contract at the end of the season.

 

Portsmouth want Martins but not at £13m. They see him as a replacement for John Utaka, likely to leave Fratton Park at the end of the season.

 

Spurs' interest would certainly suggest that they are willing to off-load one – or both – of Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent. Spurs want to play Martins as a central striker, his preferred role. It is understood that Bent, in particular, is not in head coach Juande Ramos's plans. The chances of Spurs recouping the £16.5m they committed to buying Bent are slim. Defoe is stalling on a new contract.

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/premier-league/article3310047.ece

 

 

 

[garth]

f****** sell him, he's done nothing special.

[Baggio]

He'd do well at Villa with their counter attacking football.

[Flip]

IF we sell him we need to get Defoe here, or someone at least with speed but ALSO technique and ball control!

[1878]

All depends on who you'd sign to replace him really but  I think £13m is a good price

[Alberto2005]

Clever bastards, "it will be interesting to see if he features in tomorrow's FA Cup tie away to Stoke City" They clearly know he can't play due to the agreement with Nigeria and have used this to spark the rumour even more.

[S.S.R.]

Clever bastards, "it will be interesting to see if he features in tomorrow's FA Cup tie away to Stoke City" They clearly know he can't play due to the agreement with Nigeria and have used this to spark the rumour even more.

 

No Stoke without firepower.

[stozo]

Ferguson says Man U aren't signing anyone so that stops all the Berbatov or Hutton to Man U stories. You have to find something to fill that space.

 

I'll take this with a massive pinch of salt.

[Yorkie]

I'd be gutted if we sold him now. I'd be fucking gutted and fucking angry if we were to sell him to an immediate rival like City or Villa.

[brummie]

13m?

 

I fucking hope not.

[olliemort]

Here we go again..........

[Decky]

If we sell Martins i will be FURIOUS, why sell our best attacking players when we are knee deep in fucking shit?

[Wullie]

I hate the transfer window.

[Kimbo]

If we sell Martins i will be FURIOUS, why sell our best attacking players when we are knee deep in f****** s***?

Surely this is only a good thing, it means Alan "Smudge" Smith can have a regular role upfront.

[chicago_shearer]

The future at Newcastle United of Obafemi Martins is once more in doubt with two Premier League clubs – Manchester City and Aston Villa – having this week made formal inquiries about the 23-year-old Nigeria striker who has endured a troubled season under manager Sam Allardyce.

 

Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth are also monitoring the situation.

 

A stumbling block may be the price, because the £13m release clause in Martins' contract, the existence of which The Independent revealed last summer, has still not been removed, although negotiations have taken place with Newcastle, who appear to want to keep him. Villa are thought to be the only club prepared to meet that valuation, although it is understood that Martins would prefer a move to City.

 

Newcastle were holding talks yesterday to decide what to do about Martins and it will be interesting to see if he features in tomorrow's FA Cup tie away to Stoke City, which would lessen the likelihood of him being transferred. Nigeria coach Berti Vogts has said that Martins can delay meeting up with the rest of the squad for the African Cup of Nations until after next week's league game against Manchester United.

 

Martins arrived at St James's Park in August 2006, in a £10m move from Internazionale, and is understood to have grown increasingly frustrated under Allardyce and disillusioned by his tactics.

 

Martins scored 17 goals last season, including 11 in the Premier League, and is Newcastle's top-scorer with six goals so far in this campaign. He reacted angrily to being substituted during the recent away defeat to Chelsea, refusing even to acknowledge Allardyce's out-stretched hand.

 

Arsenal expressed an interest in Martins last summer, which is believed to have unsettled him, but did not follow it up and are no longer interested.

 

Villa have shown the firmest interest. Manager Martin O'Neill has made recruiting a striker his priority, and initially hoped to sign Liverpool's Peter Crouch, a move that now appears unlikely. Villa are also interested in Loris Arnaud, a 20-year-old with Paris St-Germain, who is out-of-contract at the end of the season.

 

Portsmouth want Martins but not at £13m. They see him as a replacement for John Utaka, likely to leave Fratton Park at the end of the season.

 

Spurs' interest would certainly suggest that they are willing to off-load one – or both – of Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent. Spurs want to play Martins as a central striker, his preferred role. It is understood that Bent, in particular, is not in head coach Juande Ramos's plans. The chances of Spurs recouping the £16.5m they committed to buying Bent are slim. Defoe is stalling on a new contract.

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/premier-league/article3310047.ece

 

 

The words in bold need more http://www.heinz.com/images/HP-Sauce-products.jpg.

 

English football journalism is a joke.  Why are they allowed to continue "reporting" as if every manufactured piece of tabloid bullshit is Watergate?  If you have a story, tell me who said it or tell me why I should believe you.  Fucks sake, do these people go to school? 

 

I don't care if he ends up at Villa tomorrow morning.  As the story stands, it is pathetic journalism.

[Yorkie]

Well anyway, could anyone realistically pull off a deal now, while he's away at the African Nations Cup? I know deals can be done prior to the summer, but the article is written as if it's here and now. Seems unrealistic to me, i really doubt the board would be daft enough to let him go to one of those clubs anyway, the player himself would arguably see it as a sideways step too.

 

I'm not awfully worried.

[matta]

trade with carew or agbonlahor.

 

 

both suits us better.

[Alberto2005]

trade with carew or agbonlahor.

 

 

both suits us better.

[matta]

trade with carew or agbonlahor.

 

 

both suits us better.

 

hihi, for a 4-3-3 that Big Sam favoures i think both would be very good. Carew used to it from city and from playing with Norway, and agbo does quite well at villa with a 4-3-3

[Alberto2005]

trade with carew or agbonlahor.

 

 

both suits us better.

 

hihi, for a 4-3-3 that Big Sam favoures i think both would be very good. Carew used to it from city and from playing with Norway, and agbo does quite well at villa with a 4-3-3

I'm not saying they wouldn't, there is absolutely no chance Aston Villa would swap Agbonlahor for Martins

[matta]

trade with carew or agbonlahor.

 

 

both suits us better.

 

hihi, for a 4-3-3 that Big Sam favoures i think both would be very good. Carew used to it from city and from playing with Norway, and agbo does quite well at villa with a 4-3-3

I'm not saying they wouldn't, there is absolutely no chance Aston Villa would swap Agbonlahor for Martins

 

true that , but some wishfull thinking doesnt hurt ( they wouldnt swap him for carew either)

[chicago_shearer]

trade with carew or agbonlahor.

 

 

both suits us better.

 

hihi, for a 4-3-3 that Big Sam favoures i think both would be very good. Carew used to it from city and from playing with Norway, and agbo does quite well at villa with a 4-3-3

I'm not saying they wouldn't, there is absolutely no chance Aston Villa would swap Agbonlahor for Martins

 

Strange how this time last season we would have been the ones laughing at that deal.

[Alberto2005]

trade with carew or agbonlahor.

 

 

both suits us better.

 

hihi, for a 4-3-3 that Big Sam favoures i think both would be very good. Carew used to it from city and from playing with Norway, and agbo does quite well at villa with a 4-3-3

I'm not saying they wouldn't, there is absolutely no chance Aston Villa would swap Agbonlahor for Martins

 

Strange how this time last season we would have been the ones laughing at that deal.

True.

[matta]

trade with carew or agbonlahor.

 

 

both suits us better.

 

hihi, for a 4-3-3 that Big Sam favoures i think both would be very good. Carew used to it from city and from playing with Norway, and agbo does quite well at villa with a 4-3-3

I'm not saying they wouldn't, there is absolutely no chance Aston Villa would swap Agbonlahor for Martins

 

Strange how this time last season we would have been the ones laughing at that deal.

 

last season we pretty much focused on getting rid of someone else..

[Guest Brewcastle]

He'd do well at Villa with their counter attacking football.

Yepp! I love Obafemi as a player. But his carreer will soon be ruined if he stays with NUFC. I would love to see some magic from Martins in the future. So far Sam sticks with the S*** tactics, it won't happen in NUFC. So it's allmost I hope - but that doesn't mean I like it - Martins gets a club where they play attacking football. He deserves to show his qualities