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This guy must be Newcastle's official spokesman
Toon won't buy a KuytAug 17 2006
By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle
Newcastle United have moved aside and left the way clear for Liverpool to sign Feyenoord striker Dirk Kuyt for £11m.
A United delegation of chairman Freddy Shepherd and manager Glenn Roeder watched the 26-year-old striker come on for the second half at Dublin's Lansdowne Road, as Holland crushed the Republic of Ireland 4-0.
And there was talk coming out of Ireland late last night that Kuyt was coming back on United's private plane - and some television stations planned to be at Newcastle airport when it landed just before midnight.
But this was never going to be the case, as United only rate Kuyt in the £5m bracket and, unlike Liverpool, were not prepared to pay e15m for the Dutch striker.
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What made last night's match all the more galling for Roeder was that a striker he would really love to see in a black-and-white shirt, Klass Jan Huntelaar, was the best player on view with his two goals.
But Roeder knows that the Ajax striker, who played against United for Heerenveen in the UEFA Cup a couple of seasons ago, is way, way out of his price range.
Obviously, United supporters are more than a trifle restless that no new striker has come in, and both Shepherd and Roeder are aware of this.
But bearing in mind the money some of his predecessors have wasted on the likes of Hugo Viana, Jean Alain Boumsong, Amady Faye and Albert Luque, the 64,000 dollar question has to be is Roeder right to wait for the right men?
Certainly when Roeder thinks of the money Shepherd made available to Graeme Souness in his 18-month stint at St James' Park, he must feel like sobbing his heart out.
Roeder had actually planned to go to Moscow last night to take in Russia's game with Latvia, but he could not get a visa in time.
And while United were in Latvia last week for the UEFA Cup second qualifying round tie with FK Ventspils, I understand it was a Russian striker Roeder was keen to have a look at.
Kuyt will now line up alongside Craig Bellamy at Anfield, and what would United give to have a striker of the quality of the little Welsh international in their team now?
After last night's match in Dublin Kuyt said: "There are a few clubs interested, but only one is my dream club."
Well that club was Liverpool and reports today that United had tried to change this by offering him a weekly wage of £90,000 are simply not true.
Meanwhile, another striker wrongly linked with United by his agent, Francesco Tavano, has now moved from Empoli to Valencia.
The Spanish outfit, like United, have been looking at the situation concerning Obafemi Martins at Inter Milan.
And it looks like Valencia have been put off about doubts about the real age of the Nigerian striker too.
By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle
Newcastle United have moved aside and left the way clear for Liverpool to sign Feyenoord striker Dirk Kuyt for £11m.
A United delegation of chairman Freddy Shepherd and manager Glenn Roeder watched the 26-year-old striker come on for the second half at Dublin's Lansdowne Road, as Holland crushed the Republic of Ireland 4-0.
And there was talk coming out of Ireland late last night that Kuyt was coming back on United's private plane - and some television stations planned to be at Newcastle airport when it landed just before midnight.
But this was never going to be the case, as United only rate Kuyt in the £5m bracket and, unlike Liverpool, were not prepared to pay e15m for the Dutch striker.
Story continues
ADVERTISEMENT
What made last night's match all the more galling for Roeder was that a striker he would really love to see in a black-and-white shirt, Klass Jan Huntelaar, was the best player on view with his two goals.
But Roeder knows that the Ajax striker, who played against United for Heerenveen in the UEFA Cup a couple of seasons ago, is way, way out of his price range.
Obviously, United supporters are more than a trifle restless that no new striker has come in, and both Shepherd and Roeder are aware of this.
But bearing in mind the money some of his predecessors have wasted on the likes of Hugo Viana, Jean Alain Boumsong, Amady Faye and Albert Luque, the 64,000 dollar question has to be is Roeder right to wait for the right men?
Certainly when Roeder thinks of the money Shepherd made available to Graeme Souness in his 18-month stint at St James' Park, he must feel like sobbing his heart out.
Roeder had actually planned to go to Moscow last night to take in Russia's game with Latvia, but he could not get a visa in time.
And while United were in Latvia last week for the UEFA Cup second qualifying round tie with FK Ventspils, I understand it was a Russian striker Roeder was keen to have a look at.
Kuyt will now line up alongside Craig Bellamy at Anfield, and what would United give to have a striker of the quality of the little Welsh international in their team now?
After last night's match in Dublin Kuyt said: "There are a few clubs interested, but only one is my dream club."
Well that club was Liverpool and reports today that United had tried to change this by offering him a weekly wage of £90,000 are simply not true.
Meanwhile, another striker wrongly linked with United by his agent, Francesco Tavano, has now moved from Empoli to Valencia.
The Spanish outfit, like United, have been looking at the situation concerning Obafemi Martins at Inter Milan.
And it looks like Valencia have been put off about doubts about the real age of the Nigerian striker too.
This guy must be Newcastle's official spokesman
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