Source: Telegraph
Manchester City rebid for Newcastle's Shay Given
The St James' Park club received a fresh £6 million bid from their Premier League rivals less than 24 hours after a £5m offer was rejected for their long-serving Irish international.[LNB]It is the third time City have tried to prise Given away from Tyneside since he publicly expressed disillusionment with Newcastle three weeks ago but the latest offer seems certain to be rejected.[LNB]It is understood that City are prepared to raise their bid to the £10m mark but Newcastle owner Mike Ashley may well want far more to finance reinforcements for the fight against relegation from his mega-rich peers.[LNB]Should Given, 32, be allowed to leave it would represent another major blow for Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear who on Wednesday said: "Shay's a top-quality goalkeeper, and the last thing I want to do is lose him."[LNB]Steve Harper would take over frontline goalkeeping duties should Given leave but the re-call of Dutch Under-21 international Tim Krul from a loan spell at Carlisle suggests Newcastle are already preparing for life without him.[LNB]Given's former Newcastle colleague, Rob Lee, said he understood his restlessness.[LNB]"The Newcastle board should dig their heels in and do their utmost to keep him but it's a very difficult situation when a player wants to go," said Lee "I would not want to see Shay leave Newcastle because I still support the club but I wouldn't blame him for going because Newcastle is probably not the best place to be at the moment.[LNB]"I would hate to see him go but just look at the Man City situation. That's a club that really is going places. They are buying players. It looks as though they really mean business.[LNB]"It's an ambitious club and unfortunately Newcastle at the moment - no matter what anyone says - are in a bit of turmoil. I'm sure the fans would sympathise with him even thought they would be devastated. He has ambition and it would be a big chance for him to win some silverware." [LNB]
