According to Football Unlimited:

Newcastle have made an offer for Salamanca's Ariza Makukula. He must be good because, even though he plies his trade in the Spanish second division, Bobby Robson is offering £4m for the Republic of Congo U-21 international. Salamanca are looking for £5m, says the Sun.

Does anybody know anything about this player?

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Answers

Another LuaLua?

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Wasn't he in The Lion King?

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

LOL Gav! Just hope he's a bit more animated than that bunch on Saturday. :-)

We've been linked with him for over a year it seems, so he must be a player Bobby has kept tabs on. I can't find out anything about him on a quick glance through the search engines although there are several foreign language pages about him.

I think we need Dan and Championship Manager to run the rule over this one...

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

In 2004/5 season but
playes for salamance averages 7.3 looks like a decent goalscorer, Born 4/3/1981 has a portuguese passport so does that mean he wont require a work permit??

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Portugal is in the EU so I don't think so.

Mind, I remember a mate of mine at school having trouble on a rugby tour to Canada. He had a EC (as then) Portuguese passport which should have got him through without a visa (like all EC/EU passports). Canadian customs weren't as convinced and held him for 2 hours and made him sign a statement that he wasn't about to undermine the Canadian government or take part in any terrorism. Like Portugal's got a reputation for international terrorism...

Does Portugal still have conscription?

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Yes - 2 year national service mandatory.

Couldn't we do a swap and send six or seven of Saturday's team to take his place?

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Not sung at games, should we sign him...

We've got Makukula
We think he's quite good-a
His mam's called Val
From Portugal

Toupe, cape, hackney carriage...

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

While we're at it, apparently we're also after Jonathan Zebina of Roma.



-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

ok, how about:


Any road, he's a 23-y-o defender.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Why has he got three arms? I would prefer three legs in a defender.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002