With just days until the transfer window re-opens for business focus is once again turning to potential new signings. With the club sitting pretty in seventh place there is some debate over whether Newcastle should splash the cash and risk unsettling a settled, happy squad.
The biggest fear however will be not losing any of their key players in the coming transfer window. Almost 11 months ago Newcastle took the controversial decision to sell leading scorer Andy Carroll when a big money offer was made. They will feel it was an excellent decision now despite fans still questioning what the £35 million was spent on. Carroll will face his former team mates in the Magpies’ next game.
The most likely new signings will be in the defensive area with Alan Pardew playing down the club’s interest in a new forward player. As Demba Ba is shortly heading for the African Cup of Nations there will be a big void to fill in the starting line-up. The prolific Senegalese striker has been one of the finds of this calendar year and he already has 14 goals from only 15 starts. In previous seasons Newcastle have spread the goals around a few players but this campaign they have relied heavily on Ba. A move was made for Sochaux’s Mobido Maiga but the transfer broke down when the African failed a medical.
The manager said this week: “I don’t think we will be bringing a striker in after the collapse of Maiga, which we had put a lot of work into. You have to pay over the odds in this window – and you have to accept that if you are going to invest in this window. We won’t [do that] in terms of a striker.” The signing of another defender is more likely especially as Steven Taylor is out for the remainder of the season. Mike Williamson impressed on his return on Boxing Day although the Magpies are light on cover at centre back.
Ahead of their game against Liverpool the Magpies have no fresh injury concerns. Dan Gosling has returned from suspension while Davide Santon is back to full fitness. Newcastle have a wretched record at Anfield with their last win back in the 1993/94 season. Indeed they have not even scored at Anfield since a Patrick Kluivert strike back in December 2004. However they will feel more confident given the news that Luis Suarez will be suspended for the game and Kenny Dalglish’s side poor run of home form.
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