Last week it was Inter, this week it's Roma who have been contacted by Newcastle United.

Reports from Italy suggest that Newcastle are interested in a permanent move for Roma striker Marco Delvecchio. The 27 year old left footed Italian front man likes the idea of playing in England providing that he is well paid and is one of the first names on the team sheet each week. He also remembers well St James park and the spirited performance by Newcastle United in the UEFA cup last season. A foreign import of such quality would be a welcome addition to the team but where would the money be coming from? Would Newcastle sell one of their better players to fund such a move Or have they secured a loan on the understanding that the likes of Marcelino, Domi and Goma will eventually fetch £10 million when they can be sold. The amounts sugested of £8 - £10 million seem way out of Newcastle price range. Are these enquiries real just a publicity scam to appease the Newcastle fans. A better option financially would be Roma's Japanese Attacking midfielder Hidetoshi Nakarta. The 23 year old isn't happy in Rome and would lie to move to England "Rome is a wonderful place but it is suffocating me, I have no privacy and I need a change of country. I know that Roma wouldn't sell me to a rival Serie A team so I must look to another country I would like to play in England, and where better than United" said Nakarta. A move for him would cost Newcastle around the £12 million mark, but how much would NTL pay toward this? If the move went ahead Newcastle would be one of the best supported teams in Japan and NTL could recoup millions by selling Live Pay per View Internet TV games to the Japanese.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Answers

>>>>Rome is a wonderful place but it is suffocating me, I have no privacy

Well, he'll be able to hide away in the Toon's Japanese quarter I'm sure ...

Seriously, IF that is his reason (and he or his agent may well be blagging it for their own reasons) then he would certainly not get privacy on Tyneside, and consequently it would be a poor move - the player has to be happy to give of his best.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

LOL, Jonno. Reminds me of Ruud Gullit and the Toon "goldfish" bowl. I mean, he'd have attracted attention with that barnet in downtown New York. Anyway, I gather that this Japanese chap is actually being wooed by Newton Heath. Re Delvecchio, if he signs, I will eat hay with a cuddy.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

As you well know, you tosser, Nakarta was talking about Man United.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Personally I'd sign Nakata, he's like Speed and Dyer combined, he's pretty quick, gets the play going and then turns up late in the box and heads it in a bit like David Platt used to.

He's obviously a bit peeved about sitting on his @rse most of the time at Roma as he is cover for Totti. Having said that. He will not have spoken to journalists. He despises them. He always refused to speak to journos in Japan and used to have Q&A sessions on the internet with his fans. He is always worried about being misrepresented in the press.

I'd absolutely love it if he went to the Toon, as I would be guaranteed to see EVERY game played. He is revered in Japan and Sly would put every one of his games on TV. Excellent

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Just think, if we signed Delvecchio we could play with two cheating, whinging, diving gets up front!

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Couldn't we just sign Totti and Batitistuta from Roma instead......?

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Top idea Stevo - then we could, on occasion, play with three cheating whinging, diving gets up front!

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

The following from Teamtalk today on Delvecchio:

"Certainly Newcastle fans would welcome his arrival, having seen Delvecchio impress in UEFA Cup games against United last season".

Yeh, right - impressed with his Greg Luganis impressions if nothing else!
Who writes this cr@p?

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Mr Traz
Yer berra not let Clarky hear yer slagging off wor Al. Ee'l ploat yer.

Ah think yer reet, like.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Agree about Marco -Louganis- Delvecchio, dont want to see him in England at all. Actually, I wouldn't mind him at Stevenage- can they afford his fee? Put him and the Inzaghi brothers together in a forward line and see how many cards for diving they can accumulate.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

I'd take Nakata in a flask. We can't afford him mind so I'll just dream on

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

I did of course mean in a "flash".

I'd take me tea in a flask, but don't happen to have one big enough to fit Japanese midfielders in ...

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000

He's not that big they must make one big enough in America?

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000