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Kinnear, RE: Owen -- "I Don't Know What's Going to Happen"


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Owen will be going – Kinnear

Dec 6 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

 

JOE Kinnear has conceded defeat in his attempt to persuade Michael Owen to sign a new deal at Newcastle United as he admitted all of the Magpies’ out-of-contract players were hoping to speak to rival clubs in January.

 

 

Kinnear hoped his appointment as manager until the end of the season would allow him to open negotiations with the out of contract players, but that hope appears to be a forlorn one with Owen, Nicky Butt, Shola Ameobi and Steve Harper, as well as Mark Viduka and David Edgar, all able to talk to other clubs next month ahead of a potentially lucrative Bosman-style free transfer at the end of the season.

 

Although Harper and Ameobi have strong local attachments, they are frustrated by a lack of first-team football. As for Butt, he is settled, but has chosen to only rent a house on Tyneside as he does not know how much longer he will be in the North East, while Owen will surely have plenty of options to consider at both home and abroad.

 

Kinnear met managing director Derek Llambias and owner Mike Ashley this week to discuss the club’s transfer budget and, while he has received some good news regarding the signing of two new players he was far less enthusiastic about keeping some of his existing ones beyond the end of the present campaign.

 

“I’ve not really had a chance to talk to the players about their contracts and I don’t know what is going to happen,” said Kinnear, who believes Ashley will provide the necessary funds to strengthen the squad as he does not want to risk the financial disaster of Newcastle crashing into the Championship.

 

“The players who are out of contract, I have spoken to a few of their agents. They are holding back as well. They are waiting to see what their options are in January and who comes in for them. They will make a decision then.

 

“I’m speaking to Shola’s agent on Monday so we will see what happens there, but there isn’t much I can do if the players have decided they want to see what else is there for them in January.

 

“I just hope I can get the players in I want because if we

 

can get them we’ll be smoking.” Kinnear has previously suggested he has transfer targets in Italy and Holland, but he is probably playing an elaborate game of bluff in a bid to keep his actual targets under wraps.

 

Yet, having talked at length with Ashley and given him a list of players he would like to bring the club in the New Year, United’s manager feels he is going to be able to sign at least two of them.

 

Talks have already opened with the player’s agents and their clubs as Kinnear claimed Ashley had pledged to spend around £12m on the pair.

 

He said: “I have had a positive meeting with him. I put the case for bringing players in and we are talking to some players and their agents and clubs. We have to be ready when the window opens. I would like two to three players.”

 

“I have given them the prices. I told them two players who cost six million each, which is £12m. He said fine, leave it with me. I will come back to you. There are players available who will help us and we will have to wait and see because I don’t want to say much more.

 

“Mike was fine with it. We have got one who is ’umming and aah-ing, but we are still banging on the door and he is still a player we have identified.

 

“Instead of cash the club decided they’d come in for one of our players in an exchange. That would leave us stronger in one area and weaker in another. It would be straight swap. I am not sure we would benefit from losing another player.”

 

 

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Guest Darth Toon

Pefectly understandable that no-one will want to sign a new contract in the current setup.

 

I would expect Owen to stay until the end of season at least though.

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Kinnear has previously suggested he has transfer targets in Italy and Holland, but he is probably playing an elaborate game of bluff in a bid to keep his actual targets under wraps.

 

Aye, it is reet Agatha Christie mystery as he has said he is getting players in: with PL experince, from the Championship, loan deals & players from any decent league in Europe .

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owen will be going- was on the cards from the day he signed...imo

 

Your Christmas hat is brown. Why?

 

And yes, I think Owen's time is probably spent here now. Wouldn't be surprised to see Viduka moving on as well. Think Butt and Ameobi will end up staying though.

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owen will be going- was on the cards from the day he signed...imo

 

Your Christmas hat is brown. Why?

 

 

And yes, I think Owen's time is probably spent here now. Wouldn't be surprised to see Viduka moving on as well. Think Butt and Ameobi will end up staying though.

 

 

 

is it brown?

 

oops, i am actually colour blind.

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I can honestly say I am not that concerned about any of those players leaving, though I would feel sad about Harper. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Butt won't be offered a contract because I don't think we can move forward while he is still here.

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As said in one of the Ameobi threads, if Owen and Viduka go I don't think we can afford to lose Shola. He isn't very good but at the moment he is a better bet than the youths and I can't see us signing 3 quality strikers in the summer.

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I can honestly say I am not that concerned about any of those players leaving, though I would feel sad about Harper. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Butt won't be offered a contract because I don't think we can move forward while he is still here.

 

Personally, I think the ones that will stay past the end of the season are Harper and Ameobi. I can see the rest leaving (although unsure on the youngsters). Really hope that Edgar and Butt go.

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I'm not concerned about the individuals in that list, bar Harper and arguably Owen, but at the end of the day - it's still seven players we have to replace/improve on in the summer. That's gonna take a lot of business and it's certainly a worry with the club still firmly wedged in this state of limbo. If Ashley isn't goint to sell the club, then he needs to take it off the market and commit himself, in my opinion. But i doubt he wants to do that.

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If Ashley has promised him £12 million, does this mean he has changed his mind and is prepared to subsidise NUFC ?

 

 

doubt it, he probably still inteneds to be round about break even at the end of his trading year.

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Guest Geordiesned

owen will be going- was on the cards from the day he signed...imo

 

Agreed.

 

I remember he was quite clear when he signed that he'd signed a 4-year contract and he'd be here 4 years. Never expected him to stay any longer.

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owen will be going- was on the cards from the day he signed...imo

 

Agreed.

 

I remember he was quite clear when he signed that he'd signed a 4-year contract and he'd be here 4 years. Never expected him to stay any longer.

 

 

this tho, epitimises my argument, that players contacts, should be pro-rata,..ie, four years of be-ing available and fit, or a set number of games...eg 160 game contracts.

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