NUFC line up summer move for Jermaine Beckford
Jun 3 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal
One agent said: “Newcastle United are a massive club and they will blow any club in the Championship out of the water. If there is a sniff of interest from Alan Shearer and Newcastle, it is the only place that a player will want to go.
“They might have fallen on hard times but they’re still a much bigger draw than any club in the division and I think most
players would probably wait if there is a suggestion that Shearer and Newcastle are keen.”
That is despite the fog of uncertainty which clouds St James’s Park still stubbornly refusing to be lifted.
High-placed sources claimed yesterday that a mystery Middle East consortium is the first to show serious interest in the club at it’s knock-down new value of around £100m.
Deal broker Keith Harris, who has been re-employed by the club to try to smoke out serious interest in United, was out of the country ‘on business’ yesterday.
And it looks increasingly likely that any new owners of the club would emanate from the Middle East.
Yesterday even saw suggestions emanating from the south coast that Portsmouth’s prospective new owner Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim may renew his interest in Newcastle now that £300m has been slashed from the asking price by owner Mike Ashley .
But the billionaire property tycoon has already entered due diligence with Pompey and his advisers last night played down those rumours.
Meanwhile, United’s hopes of shifting some of their big earners appear to have been boosted as Hull City have been linked with a move for Kevin Nolan.
The midfielder has endured a difficult time since moving to Tyneside during the January transfer window.
But Hull boss Phil Brown, who worked with the player during their time at Bolton, has been credited with a serious interest in the player.
