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Claims of Newcastle signing Moussa Marega rubbished but in Holding talks – Sky Sports

4 years ago
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Sky Sports have rubbished claims that Newcastle United are set to sign Moussa Marega.

Reports over the past 48 hours had ranged from interest in signing the French born striker to a deal being pretty much completed.

The Portuguese media not exactly the most reliable and then the English media happy to blindly repeat the claims, often with added / invented updates.

Newcastle United were actually first linked with signing Moussa Marega 13 months ago, just after Joelinton had arrived in that bizarre £40m+ Mike Ashley signing, French media were claiming at the end of July 2019 that Newcastle were prepared to pay a £27m release clause so that the striker could play alongside Joelinton.

Nothing came of that ahead of last season and Keith Downie who covers NUFC for Sky Sports, indicates that it is same story this time. The Sky Sports man says his information is that there hasn’t even been an approach by Newcastle for the Porto striker, never mind the ongoing talks that have been claimed elsewhere.

Moussa Marega has made 29 league appearances in each of the last three seasons for Porto in the weak Portuguese league and after a standout 22 goals in 2017/18, has only scored 11 and 12 goals these past two seasons. Set to turn 30 during the coming season and question marks on stepping up to Premier League football, whilst Newcastle are clearly desperate for a striker, difficult to see Marega as the answer.

In contrast, Keith Downie says that Newcastle are definitely interested in bringing in Rob Holding, the Arsenal defender having helped his team win the Community Shield yesterday, beating Liverpool on penalties.

The Sky Sports reporter stating that Newcastle have held talks to sign the centre-back on loan but ‘a deal is still some way off’ according to what he has been told.

Mike Ashley has made clear that Newcastle’s transfer window revolves around free transfers and loan deals, though whilst there is no limit on loans from overseas, a deal for Rob Holding would take up one of only two allowed loan deals for Premier League players coming to Newcastle United this summer.

Whilst the centre-back has played 39 times in cup (domestic and European) cup competitions for Arsenal, he turns 25 next month and has started only 33 Premier League games.

Newcastle do have plenty of centre-backs but three of them only have a year left on their deals (Schar, Clark, Fernandez) and plenty of them have had injury problems, plus it is an ageing squad so maybe United needing youth and extra pace at the back as an option. Interesting to see that if Rob Holding does come in, whether anybody will leave.

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