NEWCASTLE United have beaten Champions' League finalists Valencia in the race to sign young Danish ace Peter Lovenkrands.

The 20-year-old AB Copenhagen striker has agreed to join United and he will cost #1.25 million.

He will travel to Tyneside later this week for a medical and a meeting with Bobby Robson, who will be back at his desk briefly following a holiday before heading off to Euro 2000.

The Chronicle revealed on Saturday that United were involved in a five-way fight with Valencia, Inter Milan, St Etienne and Everton for Lovenkrands.

But United chairman Freddie Shepherd was determined to get his man - and he had an ace up his sleeve in his manager.

For Shepherd will have pointed out to Lovenkrands Robson's record of signing promising young players and turning them into superstars.

And once he mentioned the name of Ronaldo, whom Robson discovered at PSV Eindhoven and later took to Barcelona, then it was all over bar the shouting.

Lovenkrands is not in the Danish squad for Euro 2000 but he is still rated one of the hottest properties in Scandinavia.

And at #1.25 million United could find that they have picked up a real bargain, especially when they themselves are asking twice as much for striker Paul Robinson.

Lovenkrands' arrival means Robson will finally have some cover up front with Duncan Ferguson continuing to have injury problems and both Robinson and Temuri Ketsbaia attracting attention from elsewhere after failing to establish themselves last season.

Robson knows that the teams challenging for honours all have four top-class international strikers - something United clearly do not have.

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Answers

God we've signed so many planks in recent seasons that I get nervous at any unknown signing these days!!

Please Bobby.....convert me fully, I'm still a doubter :((

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Tell yer what Gav, I know what yer mean as this lad is deemed not as good as Jon Dahl T by the national coach. Um, what does that say??

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Okay, so everyone's a bit nervous after dalglish etc!! but for 1.25 million hes a risk but not much of one. Apparently we are after 2.5 for the sale of Paul Robinson. Replace 1 striker with another and make 1.25 million sounds like good business to me! AM

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Your helping AM.....definitely helping....

You're right that it's not much of risk....other than if he's not very good then he's no good as a stand in!

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Bobby has about 35 years of experience as a purchaser of players and spent his last year at Barca as director of global scouting: he knows his stuff. As for his not being at Euro2000, well, at the age of 20 was Big Al at Italia 90?

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

If anyone can bring out the best in him then its Bobby, lets just hope he's not another JDT (God he was S***E).

P.S. Gav youre right about Washington not being totally full of mackems, but there is a hell of a lot of them! Or is that just where i live?

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

It's a credibility gap thing. I'd trust BR's judgment a lot sooner than I would KD's. And who's to say that Jon Dahl wouldn't have responded the way Pistone did under BR's influence ?

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

It's mebbes the Scandinavian thing - Andreas, JDT, Gudjohnsen...

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Marty,

Whereabouts in Washington are you from mate?

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Right next to the old village!

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

From onefootball.com - just a little bit to make yer feel a little more at ease

"Peter Lovenkrands

Position: Forward

Signed from: Lillerod

Height: 1.81m

Weight: 69kg

A youth international, Lovenkrands has been shackled with the tag of being Denmark's most exciting prospect for many years and has been closely tracked by Ajax. He is fast, a good finisher and strong header of the ball and is one of the best dribblers in Denmark. Signed for AB from Lillerod with brother Tommy"

So he's 5'9", weighs 10 1/2 st, but nippy, good in the air and puts the ball away. Time will tell...

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

What side of the old village mate? some of my family live in Avebury Drive on the John F side of the village...just opposite the school actually :)

I'm from Barmston mesel.....

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Signed Lovenkrands for NUFC in Championship Manager and sold him for over 12 million to a spanish club, one can only hope he becomes anywhere near as good in real life. Saying that though I also managed to sell Maric to Newton Heath for 11 million!!

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Streety....another new face here? or just a different name for an old one?

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

So when do we sign the cultured left winger Guildenstern?

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Guildenwho?

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Yeah new face been lurking a while now. Live in Swindon family originally from South Shields.

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Warm welcome to ya mate.....it seems to be the season for lurkers to come out of the closet as it were ;))

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Ho Ho Softie. Let's just hope he's not dead.

I was wondering (as one does) what Lovenkranz means - my guess would be Lion's mane (based on rusty German). Alternatively it could be a love bite :,)*. Can any Danish speakers confirm? Does anyone care ;-)

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

JDT is a great example of poor coaching/management. He can shine in one club, play well for his country but be shite under NUFC management.

If Bobby had JDT I reckon he'd have been excellent.

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

If we do sign Lovenkrands, by no means certain I know, do you think that Bobby will be happy with his lot in terms of striking firepower?

He will have a line up of Shearer, Ferguson, Gallagher and Lovenkrands. I would be disappointed if we didn't sign Gudjohnsson but I fear that Bobby has been put off by the asking price and will this prompt him to strengthen another area of the pitch?

Still no strong links with regard to the left side of midfield.

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Softie,
Got to agree - Lovenkrands & Guildenstern would make a really "deadly" duo! Boom, boom!

How about poor Terry Yorick as coach while we're on?

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Did anyone notice who is Solano was(?) Or maybe with his short term of services, Helder has given me a sign of excellency...yet we will have to wait until next august to see how good is Lovend...(what???) and Bassedas are...but when Guardiola arrived???

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

Windy -

In case you are interested, his name is actually Lxvenkrands not Lovenkrands (makes a huge difference in danish) so its pronounced something more like Lerwenkrans. There isn't an obvious translation for the name, you're right lxven does mean 'the lion' (which is his nickname here in copenhagen, at least for AB fans) but krans means something more along the lines of a ring or wreath. Apologies to anyone who didn't care, but there you go..

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

Hi Tom,

Thanks very much for that.....we're always interested to have information from new sources :))

I take it you are a Copenhagen fan?

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

Hi Gav,

I do live in Copenhagen and follow FC Copenhagen here but am very definitely a Toon fan for longer than Ican remember. I posted on the old BBS a couple of times but am definitely an outed lurker (lot of it about at the moment). The danes (and the media in particular) are almost obsessed with danes who play football abroad, so a few years back we were known here as 'Jon Dahl Tomasson's Newcastle United', they now show dutch matches live here because of JDT. So signing a danish player is superb for those of us who live in Denmark (at the moment we get loads of carp about Jes Hxgh's Chelsea, thank god rudolph quit OT).

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

Really didn't expect a reply on that one, but thanks Tom - I wasn't far off, I just guessed that a mane was vaguely ring like and made more sense than a lion's ring (don't start Gav ;-)). Useful to know we have a Danish speaker on here...are you actually Danish or just speak the lingo? Any Newcastle connections, or just surfing on through?

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

Postings obviously crossed in cyberspace. Good to have you back on board. How do you rate Lxvenkranz? Good prospect?

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

We are going to look mighy stupid if this young lad turns up and fails the medical, even Bobby has spoken about signing him now.

Looks pretty safe apart from that though!

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

I haven't seen him play for AB but the danes at work seem to reckon he's an exciting young player. There is no mention of the transfer in the local media although his brother has just signed for St. Johnstone. I'll try and get more info on this. Could be a good week for me though with Roy Hodgson just taking the coaches job at FC Copenhagen. Makes up for the embarrassment of being english here after what the arsenal etc 'fans' got up to a couple of weeks ago.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

A bit more info: He was voted the best U18 dansih player in 1998. An award that was also given to JDT in 1994 if that convinces anybody who might have doubted his talent;-)

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

Marvellous, another cynic, welcome aboard again, you'll fit in beautifully :-)

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

According to Optasoccer this deal is far from done with Rangers still talking to his club. His brother, as mentioned before, has recently signed for St Johnstone. I'll believe it as soon as I see the press conference.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

Tom,
I'm interested in your comment on the Arse fans. Is the view in Copenhagen that the Arse fans were largely to blame for the trouble, or do they apportion the blame more equally between English and Turkish fans?
The Press here has suggested that Turks from Holland and Germany travelled to Denmark looking for trouble. However, it seems that the Arse trouble-makers who travelled were boosted by other hooligans from Chelsea and Milwall.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

Hi Clarky, The general opinions of the media here were that on the night before the match (when the Arsenal guy got stabbed) that the turks were largely to blame for starting the trouble when they started smashing up english and irish bars (a lot of these here). On the matchday itself it appears that the trouble in the town square was orchestrated by 50-100 english (largely not Arsenal) thugs who managed to round up about 3-400 to wade into the turks in the square. The majority of the violence took place in two short pitched battles which were allowed to go unhindered by the local police who were absolutely hopeless and made no attempt (until after the match) to segregate anybody. Just to add to the confusion local fascists and hooligans joined in with the fighting and a number were arrested (similar trouble last year when Chelsea played FC Copenhagen with Chelsea fans looking for trouble and finding that the locals were more than up to it, you may have seen the undercover reporter who got a kicking then). Luckily for us (as residents) the Turks won because the local 'anarchists', who have their headquarters 50 yds from my flat, generally collaborate with the turks (there is a large turkish contingent here) in protests and sometimes riots against the police and were planning similar trouble again. Luckily the turks won and couldn't be bothered to do any more fighting. That's probably as clear as mud then.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2000

PS While the danes generally like the english (fellow euro abstainers and all that plus britons are the second largest imigrant population here) the media made the observation that while large numbers of turks took the opportunity to do some sight-seeing, museums and stuff, the english supporters just went straight to the pubs. Danes are very proud of their culture and this didn't go down particularly well.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2000

I am meeting a old mate from College on Saturday who is an Arsenal supporter. He said in his e-mail he would tell me about Copenhagen at the weekend, so I can give you his side of things on Monday.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2000