Newsletter

Get your daily update and weekly newsletter by signing up today!

Opinion

Is Dame N’Doye a signing Newcastle let pass by

9 years ago
Share

Is Dame N’Doye the type of signing that Newcastle shouldn’t let pass them by?

Back in 2012 United were said to be interested in the striker after he’d scored 59 goals in 88 league appearances for Copenhagen.

Instead the Senegal forward was transferred to Locomotiv Moscow for around £4m.

It is always an unknown when scoring goals in a weaker league but N’Doye then added another 27 goals in only 51 league starts. A record in European league football of 88 goals in 141 league matches.

In January there were yet more reports of Newcastle interest, with claims in Senegal that United had offered £3m to help add much needed goals to the team.

(To feature like Sam, send in your articles for our website to contribute@themag.co.uk)

Of course, the only transfer business Mike Ashley allowed in this last window was selling Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and getting others like Santon off the wage bill.

However, Hull City took the plunge and are said to have paid between £2m and £3m and the player’s signed a two and a half year deal.

When the January interest was reported it was easy to dismiss because Dame N’Doye was 29 years of age, so outside Mike Ashley’s strict criteria of not signing players who don’t have potential to be sold on for more.

Nothing wrong with looking to buy players who have their careers ahead of them but also nothing wrong in having the flexibility to mix and match it.

N’Doye has scored in his two starts and helped Hull bank six points and climb out of the relegation zone. Maybe he will keep on scoring or maybe he will prove a flash in the pan.

However, what I do know is that buying the bare minimum of players and not allowing the manager/head coach any say in who comes and goes is definitely the road to ruin. Steve Bruce travelled to France to meet the player and convince him to go to Hull, at times Alan Pardew was clearly underwhelmed with the players handed to him, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa the stand out one as Pardew refused to give him any kind of decent run in his proper position.

Worth remembering as well that Les Ferdinand was just short of turning 29 when he came to Newcastle and what a brilliant signing he was.

Adding a striker such as Dame N’Doye with his superb scoring record would at least have given us an extra option and with only a two and a half year contract it would hardly have been the biggest risk.

Doing nothing though was thought to be the best earner for Mike Ashley and condemned Newcastle fans to yet another half season of mind numbing grinding towards forty points and Premier League cash/safety.

Share

If you would like to feature on The Mag, submit your article to contribute@themag.co.uk

Have your say

© 2024 The Mag. All Rights Reserved. Design & Build by Mediaworks