This is part three (well, part of it) of a four part series about the upcoming transfer window, perhaps the most anticipated summer in Newcastle's recent history. Part 1 (investigating the team's needs) can be found here, while Part 2 (examining possible purchasing strategies) can be found here.
Part of delving into the world of player acquisition is listening to rumors passed on (often generated) by the football media. As unsavory as that can be, it's also kind of fun - each player linked to the club offers the fan an opportunity to imagine a new future. In this case, the Toon Army can envision a future that includes strikers who can score goals on a consistent basis.
Below, I have included a short profile on each striker mentioned by a major publication to have ties to Newcastle since February 1. The list is intended to be comprehensive but there is little doubt that I have missed some rumors and have incomplete information on the ones I happened to catch. Any help you can give me in the comments is more than appreciated. I plan to update this and the other lists scheduled to be posted every 1-2 weeks or as needed.
It should be stated repeatedly and strongly that these are only rumors and the information contained here may or may not be accurate. Though I do strive for accuracy, mistakes and misinformation are an unavoidable side effect of undertaking this endeavor.
Follow the jump for a brief profile on each of the 19 strikers currently rumored to be transfer targets of Newcastle United.
In no particular order:
Kevin Gameiro (Lorient)
Striker, 24 yo, 5’7.5"
Speedy with an accurate shot
Reportedly wants to play in the Champions League or in Spain
Rumored price: £12 million
Also interested: Arsenal, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur
Danny Graham (Watford)
Striker, 25 yo, 6’1"
Geordie
2011 PFA Championship Team of the Year – Top Scorer in league
Rumored price: £3-5 million
Also interested: Queens Park Rangers
Connor Wickham (Ipswich)
Striker, 18 yo, 6’3"
Rooney comps
Rumored price: £10 million+
Also interested: Liverpool (grew up cheering for the Reds), Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Sunderland
Moussa Sow (Lille)
Striker, 25 yo, 5’11"
Top scorer in Ligue 1 in 2010-11
Lots of strength and pace, famous for doing bicycle kicks
Pardew offered £40 million for Sow and Gervinho
Rumored price: £7-10 million
Also interested: Sunderland
Gervinho (Lille)
Striker/Winger, 23 yo, 5’11"
Speedy with good finishing
Wants to play in Champions League, also wants to play in England. Friends with Cheik Tiote (and other Ivorians)
Rumored price: £12-15 million, Newcastle offered £40 million for both Gervinho and Sow
Also interested: Aston Villa, Liverpool, Spurs, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla
Jay Bothroyd (Cardiff City)
Striker, 29 yo, 6’3"
Excellent control and vision, pacy
Rumored price: Free transfer
Also interested: Sunderland, Birmingham, Fulham, West Ham, Everton
Shane Long (Reading)
Striker, 24 yo, 5’11"
Good finisher, possesses keen awareness
Rumored price: £6 million
Also interested: Liverpool, Everton, Celtic, Wolves, Stoke, Aston Villa, West Ham
Carlton Cole (West Ham)
Striker, 27 yo, 6’3"
Lacks durability and creativity, a decent shooter
Rumored price: Unknown
Also interested: Nobody?
Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (AZ Alkmaar)
Striker, 21 yo, 6’1"
Excellent shooting, a "prolific goalscorer"
Rumored price: £2 million
Also interested: Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Arsenal
Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal)
Striker, 23 yo, 6’3"
Strong in the air, notoriously self-assured
Said to prefer a move to Germany or Barca
Rumored price: £15 million
Also interested: Bayern Munich, Fulham, Hamburg, Sunderland, Borussia Dortmund, Blackburn Rovers, Barcelona
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
Striker, 28 yo, 5’7"
Good finisher, somewhat streaky. On-pitch discipline a problem
Rumored price: Unknown
Also interested: Sunderland
Cheikh Diabate (Bordeaux)
Striker, 23 yo, 6’5"
A big, powerful presence with striking ability
Rumored price: Unknown (thought to be "substantial")
Also interested: Nobody?
Demba Ba (West Ham)
Striker, 25 yo, 6’2"
Pacy, adequate finisher
Rumored price: Unknown
Also interested: Sunderland, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Blackburn, Spurs
Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham Hotspur)
Striker, 29 yo, 6’2"
Strong shooter, aerial target
Rumored price: £10 million
Also interested: Sunderland, Sevilla, Rubin Kazan, Spartak Moscow
Ji Dong-Won (Chunnam Dragons)
Striker, 19 yo, 6’2"
"The future of South Korean football"
Rumored price: Unknown
Also interested: Nobody?
Jose Solomon Rondon (Malaga)
Striker/Attacking Midfielder, 21 yo, 6’1"
Raw skills, tons of pace
Malaga "would not stand in his way"
Rumored price: £5-8 million
Also interested: Arsenal
Jeremie Aliadiere (Unattached)
Striker/Winger, 28 yo, 6’1"
Durability concerns, NUFC passed up on him and got Shefki Kuqi instead
Rumored price: Free transfer
Also interested: Wolves
Robert Snodgrass (Leeds)
Winger/Striker, 23 yo, 5’11"
Possesses creativity and scoring proficiency
Rumored price: £5 million
Also interested: WBA, Stoke, AV, Birmingham, QPR
Jose Maria Callejon (Espanyol)
Winger/Striker, 24 yo, 5’10"
Lots of pace, good dribbling skills
Rumored price: 5 million Euros
Also interested: Real Madrid (came up in Real’s academy), Wigan Athletic, Everton