Source: FOOTYMAD
Pardew Dreams Shattered As Exodus Starts
Alan Pardew's hopes of securing his key players Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton and Jose Enrique this summer have suffered a further blow. Skipper Kevin Nolan is understood to have rejected the contract offer currently on the table just weeks after Barton was told he will not be offered a new deal. Former Bolton player Nolan, who scored 12 Barclays Premier League goals last season, has two years remaining on his current contract, but the breakdown of talks will cause further concern amongst fans still coming to terms with Barton's situation. Barton's agent Willie McKay says that unless something changes radically in the next 12 months, Barton will leave St James' Park on a free transfer next summer. With repeated speculation that Liverpool are ready to tempt Spanish full-back Enrique to Anfield, the first few weeks of Pardew's summer have been a disaster. He said: "We need big names to show the fans we mean business", but he doesn't seem able to keep the top players he already has! Lorient's Kevin Gameiro, Lille's Gervinho, Reading's Shane Long and former Magpie Charles N'Zogbia, currently at Wigan, are said to be targets. But three of the four players have said they have bigger clubs after them.
