1. Who will go 2. Who will Bobby buy 3. Can someone start a list of summer player links..it must be up to 10 by now at least.

-- Anonymous, May 06, 2000

Answers

Probably going
Goma Marcelino Solano Maric

Possibly coming

Guardiola (I've heard he's on his way) Gudjohnsen (apparently spotted in the Platinum club.

There are othre rumours ie Sullivan, Euell etc but I think the above 2 are quite close to being true

-- Anonymous, May 06, 2000

Is Bobby scouting anyone with Benfica? They're playing a friendly against Parma here on the 24th. I'm wondering if there will be any Toon representation around? :-)

-- Anonymous, May 06, 2000

"Given #15 mil" - I got the fright of my life when I logged on this morning, who would pay #15 m. for Given I thought? Then I opened the thread :-(

-- Anonymous, May 06, 2000

Looks like a job for Super Rik! THE NTLSPORTS TRANSFER NEWS ROUNDUP (It's normally in a framed window so it may look a bit strange.) OK now who did I miss? More names and sugested prices of players that we've been linked to needed.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2000

Kegsy is probably right but I'd like Cort rather than Euell, could be the English Duncan Ferguson, it's apparent on the last few games that we need two.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2000

Also Lee Clark is available, will play his heart out and is class.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2000

- Rik,

Some observations on your 'comings & goings' list:

- Vitor Baia (ex Real?) was mentioned some time ago as a GK that BR rated highly.
- At #3.5mm I can't see Helder coming here. He has a dodgy knee and I strongly suspect BR will only bring him in permanently if it's on the cheap. We've got enough crocks as it is.
- Fernando Meira is a CB rather than a midfielder, and apparently could be available on a free.
- Pistone's going nowhere - BR rates him. - Benfica's Jose Celadas has been 'mentioned in dispatches'. - was Gary Brady on your 'going' list? (can't recall)

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2000

Gary Brady going? I bliddy well hope so. Even Gooner "Bung" Graham isn't stupid enough to let him go. (Or even hos predecessors if that's who it was). He's useless.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2000

With Karelse given a free transfer by Bobby surely Perez has been given the same. I suppose he has but the press have not even bothered to comment on it! The clearout begins.........

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2000

Ronnie reckons........

HELDER Cristovao's bid to stay at St James's Park looks doomed to failure because Newcastle United and Deportivo La Coruna cannot agree on a fee.

In fact United and the Spanish outfit could hardly be further apart in their valuation of the tough- tackling central defender.

For while Deportivo are looking for #4 million for Helder, United boss Bobby Robson wants to sign him on a free transfer!

And with the Portuguese international already ruled out of Sunday's final game of the season with Arsenal at St James's Park because of a groin injury, then Helder could have played his last game in a black and white shirt.

The central defender has been brilliant when he has played for United but he has only managed to start two of the last 12 games because of his groin injury.

It was because of knee trouble that the Spanish club allowed Helder to come to St James's at the end of September on loan until the end of season for #500,000.

Now Deportivo have slapped a #4 million fee on the player which would certainly eat into Bobby Robson's #15 million budget.

However Robson told me today: "Helder won't play on Sunday and this means that he won't have been involved for the last five or six weeks of the season.

"What we are saying to Deportivo La Coruna is that because of his injuries he is a free transfer player."

Robson does not really want to pay #4 million for a central defender when he has so many on his books.

One solution for United would be to offer Spaniard Marcelino to Deportivo in part exchange for Helder.

But United would also want a huge cash adjustment for Marcelino, for whom Ruud Gullit paid Real Mallorca #6 million 12 months ago.

Meanwhile as revealed in The Chronicle last Monday, United have done a U-turn on Argentinian international Christian Bassedas.

We revealed that head coach Mick Wadsworth had planned to go to Buenos Aires last weekend to have another look at the Velez Sarsfield midfielder but pulled out at the last minute because of a players' strike in Argentina.

Now boss Robson will send a member of his backroom staff to South America this weekend to check on the player who is available for #2.5 million.

In an ideal world, the Newcastle manager would buy British after so many of his overseas players have spent a lot of time on the treatment table this season.

But he knows that he would not be able to pick up a current international for #2.5 million in this country and that's why he is continuing to look abroad.

One of the exceptions is England Under-21 international Paul Powell, who is playing for Second Division Oxford United and has been tracked non-stop by United staff in recent weeks.

Quite frankly, good that he has been when fit, I have worries about his ability to stay fit. Sad if we don't see him again, but we need crocked centre halves like a hole in the heed.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2000