The Evening Chronicle is reporting today that Newcastle could be willing to write off almost £10M they spent on Albert Luque – to save themselves paying the striker around £9M in wages over the next three seasons.
When you look at the deals Souness made for Boumsong and Luque, while manager at Newcastle, they were certainly calamitous deals.
Not just because of the outlandish transfer fees he paid but also because of the wages Newcastle agreed for those players.
Albert Luque – will Newcastle cut their losses – a season long loan would be a better option
Sam has come in and over the last three months has not only made 7 excellent signings but has also probably offered wages that are not insane.
But we still suffering a little from the Souness legacy because of our enormous wage bill. There are probably at least four strikers in front of Albert this season – Owen, Martins, Smith, Viduka and maybe Shola Ameobi. While Albert can also play on the wing it’s going to be crucial to understand how often Sam can use him this season since we don’t have all that many games to play.
There’s a distinct possibility that Luque may not get the many games he needs to get fully match fit so he can reproduce his old form. We also know Newcastle are trying to get a handle on their costs – to put the club in a better financial situation for the future.
Levante have come in and apparently Luque is considering a season long loan deal to Spain. That would be good from a financial viewpoint for Luque as it would presumably mean the Spanish club would pay his wages. It also allows Luque to play more games and get back some the form he had before he came to Newcastle.
Alan Oliver is suggesting United are considering letting Luque go on a free, cutting their ties with the Spanish striker completely. But if Sam will not use him much at Newcastle the more sensible way to go is to send him out on a season long loan. Just think what happens if he manages to score 10 goals in Spain this season – or even more. Since he still has three years left on his contract we would have the chance next year to get a decent fee for him and recuperate some of the money we paid out for him.
If Luque does go to Levante, he will link up with former Newcastle winger Laurent Robert, who is playing his football there next season. Ironically, both Luque and Robert were £10M signings by Newcastle – although Newcastle got a lot more out of Robert than they have out of Luque so far.
So this is not clear-cut and it’s understandable the Newcastle management are at least looking at the loan possibility. But Sam will have some input to this – and it’s not a pure financial decision and if Sam thinks he can use Luque this season and wants to keep him – so be it.
What do you think – should we keep Luque? Will he get enough games under Sam? Because if not it may be for the good of both Newcastle and Luque to loan him out for a season and see how he performs.
Comments very welcome.
22 comments so far
Dave
Aug 10, 2007 at 4:53 PM
Comment #1Alan Oliver – honestly.
There’s no way we’d let him go on a free and we’d be silly to do so. As so many of us have said before on this blog “one more chance Luque”. If he’s not going to get the games then a loan to Spain’s an option but BSA does have a habit of making first teamers turn out for the reserves until they hit form. Not as a punishment but as a common sense ‘get them games’ move.
Keep him.
Yankee
Aug 10, 2007 at 4:56 PM
Comment #2If Solano ends up leaving and Luque goes to Spain (whether it’s on loan or on a free), then there better be a plan in place to adequately replace them.
Milner, Geremi, Butt, Barton, Smith, Duff, Emre, and N’Zogbia is not enough cover in the midfield. Barton is hurt and may go to jail, Duff is out until at least November, Emre is injured, Geremi will be lost to the ANC in January, and Smith is injury prone and may play up front sometimes.
The squad getting too thin is my biggest concern with these potential moves.
bobby
Aug 10, 2007 at 4:57 PM
Comment #3let him leave- waste of skin
Dinko
Aug 10, 2007 at 5:06 PM
Comment #4No,no,no. Are we poor? First time in couple of years we have strong enough team to fight for european places and Luque looks much beter now then in any period since he was in Newcastle. I think Sam can use him in a 2-3 positions and he could be a big surprise this season. We need to spend money to make this club one of the best in England and we brought some great players for not so big money,why we can’t pay some money on wages if that will make us succesufull again?
Dinko
Aug 10, 2007 at 5:09 PM
Comment #5successful 🙂
MightyMilburn
Aug 10, 2007 at 5:15 PM
Comment #6Once again Mr. Oliver has his H.C.Andersen’s cap on.. making up stories.. Why on earth would NUFC give Luque away on a freebie? Complete waste of time (to even discuss it) and space (in any news paper..)
If he should leave – then as stated in a season long loan. Let him increase his market value and then either bring him back or sell him to the highest bidder..
Stephen
Aug 10, 2007 at 5:25 PM
Comment #7That paper is rubbish its always lies thats the same person who hates martins and is always saying he wants to leave even though he always says he is happy at the club.
Adam
Aug 10, 2007 at 5:27 PM
Comment #8I don’t think we should send anyone out on loan – including Carroll too. And we should be asking at least 3.5 million absolute minimum should we sell Luque.
If I were Sam, i’d give Luque a good amount of games this season if his form looks good in the first 3 or 4 games he plays.
It’s strange: everyone says how thin our squad is but I think it’s the Guardian (or Times) that says, in their club-by-club preview , that the depth of our squad is “staggering” and that we can even play a strong reserve side! Personally, I think somewhere between the two is the truth, that we have a growing squad but shouldn’t let anyone go if possible, whilst adding a little more to defence and central mf.
michael
Aug 10, 2007 at 5:30 PM
Comment #9Madness to let him go. If Duff and N’Zogbia, Babayaro and Enrique were al fight and raring to go with good preseasons behind them then maybe. But as only one of those is ready why would we let the other left sided player go?
Alan Oliver formulates rumours that really bring down the mood on Tyneside. (Martins, Owen, Solano) Everything he writes wounds the optimism Samuel Allardyce is trying to create. Sack the falsehood pedalling sh*te hawk! Excuse the language, but he makes me sooooo mmmmaaaadddd!!!! AAARRRRGGGHHHH, KILL, KILL, KILL!
AndyW
Aug 10, 2007 at 5:31 PM
Comment #10Hasn’t Luque just married a spanish model. Maybe he wants to be nearer his family……..seems to work for Dyer and Solano so why not him.
I like Luque and thought he could do something for us this year but if this is his attitude lets get shot and get someone who wants to play for us.
the again, it is Alan Oliver.
Jeff D
Aug 10, 2007 at 5:42 PM
Comment #11Luque looks as though he is finally going to hit form. Why on earth sell him now?It would be sheer madness.why does that Oliver bloke keep coming up with all this negative stuff.All he does is stir up a hornets nest.thats the last thing we need at the begining of a season.no wonder newcastle fans hate him more than hitler!
hadrian
Aug 10, 2007 at 5:47 PM
Comment #12why would we let him go for a free now when he has years on his contract and we have the option of a loan . like has been said , he may at least be worth a couple of mill after a decent season in spain .
more Oliver nonsense it seems , the guy is trying to offer west ham solano on a free aswell while he’s still under contract .
who’s due in for contact talks next ? we will find out in the chronicle when Oliver offers them to a club on behalf of the players agent.
rich
Aug 10, 2007 at 5:52 PM
Comment #13Luque leaving for free?? haha, no chance.. who ever broke this story really needs to get a grip of football and not this fantasy football league they seem to think were in.
rich
Aug 10, 2007 at 5:54 PM
Comment #14P.S. i dont mean you Ed i mean who ever orginally wrote this, i have a sneaky suspicion it could be from Mr.Oliver… i really believe he is actually a sunderland supporter incognito inflitrating us from within our own camp, and trying to spread nasty propaganda to try and unsettle the club and players.
Jeff D
Aug 10, 2007 at 6:13 PM
Comment #15I used to buy the chronicle all the time for their Newcastle coverage,but because of Mr Oliver i rarely do now unless we’ve made a good signing.I find that lately everything he says about my beloved toon is negative and unconstructive. Its like hes got an issue with the club, and he’s going to make them pay! Perhaps the contacts he had in the club are now gone,so he has to make stuff up.Or it could be simply that he was interfered with by a wicked uncle in his youth.. Thats by the by.I just wish he would shut up.
apan
Aug 10, 2007 at 6:23 PM
Comment #16Alan oliver always wrote crap, i may not live in UK (im from malaysia) but reading his article at his website makes me wanna puke, with all the rumours and bulls*** he wrote i wont trust a single news wrote by him, pure fiction not fact, why on earth solano would leave us when he declared his happy here and more fitter than before and giving luque and solano on a free transfer is idiotic, luque should be send on loan to regain his form let say for 6 months or a season long deal then we have him back here a ready fit player
Barry Bumhead
Aug 10, 2007 at 7:18 PM
Comment #17From Marca.com… you ca nfind this under soccer,division1, scroll down page until you came to THE EAST, this article is in there.
It seems like its bye bye Albert alright!
NEWCASTLE “HAS RELEASED†TO THE CATALAN FORWARD OF 28 YEARS
Luque approaches Levante
Albert Luque has via free negotiating his incorporation to Levante, since the organization granota has been marked like high-priority objective to have in its rows the Catalan forward. Only yesterday, the representative and father of the soccer player of 28 years, Rafael Luque, met with the leaders of the Newcastle. In fact, it was the second day that the agent seated in a table with the members of the British club and finally she rose of the same one with the promise of which the player was released to negotiate with another club. He is released.
Barry Bumhead
Aug 10, 2007 at 7:19 PM
Comment #18From Marca.com… you can find this under soccer,division1, scroll down page until you came to THE EAST, this article is in there.
It seems like its bye bye Albert alright!
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.marca.com/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmarca%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
NEWCASTLE “HAS RELEASED†TO THE CATALAN FORWARD OF 28 YEARS
Luque approaches Levante
Albert Luque has via free negotiating his incorporation to Levante, since the organization granota has been marked like high-priority objective to have in its rows the Catalan forward. Only yesterday, the representative and father of the soccer player of 28 years, Rafael Luque, met with the leaders of the Newcastle. In fact, it was the second day that the agent seated in a table with the members of the British club and finally she rose of the same one with the promise of which the player was released to negotiate with another club. He is released.
LiamBirchy8
Aug 10, 2007 at 7:37 PM
Comment #19matty taylor to replace him, top signing if we can get him. we could get him into the england team
michael
Aug 10, 2007 at 11:25 PM
Comment #20he won’t go cos he is needed right now with a complete lack of left sided talent. If we are going to keep Dyer due to WHams tapping up I doubt that Sam will allow Levante to get away with this crap.
I think both will stay for whatever reason and I think that both will improve dramatically over the next 6 months. I know the transfer window is open for another 3 weeks but I don’t expect NUFC to do much bussiness. Won’t stop AO’s rumour stick though.
P.S. Ed what happened to your poll idea? And can you write a blog about how much we hate AO?
ToonKing
Aug 10, 2007 at 11:27 PM
Comment #21Luque is not leaving (i hope), i always was a big fan of him, even from his Depor days and i was very happy when he signed. We will need him this season and he’s looking very good now.
Alan Oliver is an idiot and the writer who wrote for Marca.com is Alano Olivero Garcia. 🙂 , or it’s probably Anal-O-Lover himself trying to turn the world against the Toon Army, so he can continue to achieve Total BullS**t Paper World Domination.
Rob Kirton
Aug 11, 2007 at 1:06 PM
Comment #22Alan Oliver: Has done little to cover himself in journalistic glory. Enough said.
Alberto Luque: Has done little to cover himself in football glory, in this country at least.
So far the guy has cost us 10 million in fees and say 6 million in wages. Another 3 years on his contract will cost us another 9 million in wages. Getting rid on a free makes sense on that front if the manager doesn’t have him in his plans.
Spanish clubs interested in him will know about his time in England and how much his stock has fallen. I wouldn’t blame them for playing hardball in terms of laying out a fee, as much as I would like to of course get something back.
As regards a pre season renaisance with us, all I can assume is, it is in the eyes of people who desperately want him to succeed; against all previous evidence. Yes yet again he has managed to score goals in mean little games, played at half pace. I suspect one tackle from the best premiership defenders in a meaningful game will see him retreat into his shell again.
In my opinion a skillful player just not cut out for playing in our league.