Newcastle United are reportedly close to confirming the signings of French international strikers Bafatembi Gomis and Loic Remy from Lyon and QPR respectively. Gomis will sign for around £7million according to The Guardian, whilst Remy will join the club on a season long loan pending the completion of a medical via BBC sport.
Newcastle’s sudden search for strikers looks to be in direct response to the heavily publicized discrepancy between senior striker Papiss Cisse and new shirt sponsors www.wonga.com. Wonga’s money lending service reportedly conflicts with Cisse’s religious beliefs, and until recently it was believed that he may refuse to wear the Newcastle strip indefinitely as a result. Newcastle cannot afford to lose a player who scored 13 goals in all competitions last year without an adequate replacement. The club has already suffered as a result of losing Demba Ba to Chelsea last January without replacement.
The online publication The Guardian are reporting that a fee for Gomis has been agreed, with the last stumbling blocks concerning agent’s fees. Remy on the other hand is edging ever closer to Tyneside. It had previously been reported that Remy had a clause written into his contract that the London club would listen to offers for the striker should they fall into the 2nd tier of English football. However, QPR manager Harry Redknapp has claimed that "We paid about £8m for him, so if someone wants to loan him for a year, we are entitled to get £2m a year for him," according to Sky Sports.
The North East outfit’s striker search will seemingly not stop there, as sporting Director Joe Kinnear has confirmed that talks for Aston Villa striker Darren Bent are ongoing. 'We were with Darren's agent for two or three hours, we thrashed out a deal. We are still in negotiations with Aston Villa so there is a really strong possibility there”.
It is safe to say that many Magpies supporters would be unhappy with the North East side’s transfer activity so far this summer. Although high calibre signings such as Bent, Remy and Gomis will go some way to appease Newcastle’s devoted fan base. Joe Kinnear’s return to the club has not been without contention. As a result, he will be determined to move swiftly in the transfer market and gain the support of both the chairman and fans alike.
Source: DSG
