Erding: "I Stay in Paris"

Mevlut Erding (Erdinç) came out in the press recently and seemingly declared that he was unwilling to leave Paris Saint-Germain, telling French paper L'Equipe:

I stay in Paris. I want to impose myself here and I do not fear competition. I'm ready. Anyway, there is always competition, at all clubs.

[English quote courtesy of Sky Sports]

Follow the jump for more on Erding, plus a poll about his comments.

The 24 year-old Erding is referring to the competition that he faces for a starting job at striker. PSG has brought in Newcastle target Kevin Gameiro and are linked to several other fine forwards such as Eden Hazard and Emmanuel Adebayor. Erding is not guaranteed a spot with the squad, so it has long been thought that he would be willing to move on. He has been rumored to be a target of Newcastle for quite some time, but then again so is just about any talented young striker expected to cost less than 100 million Euros. Still, the link between club and player has been very strong, with Alan Pardew tabling an offer recently that is rumored to be valued at around £7 million pounds, and Scott Wilson of The Northern Echo reported yesterday that Newcastle expected to hear back from their French counterparts today.

Erding's comments won't inspire a lot of confidence on Tyneside, but we all know how quickly money and the specter of lost playing time can change minds. Of course, there are competing clubs, such as Tottenham Hotspur, Lille, and Galatasaray to consider, but £7 million is already well above PSG's initial asking price, so they should be motivated to speak with the Magpies. If this deal happens, we'll have to look at missing out on Gameiro as a blessing in disguise, as reports indicate that Paris St Germain are motivated to recoup some of their investment.

I still covet Erding, and I really hope this deal goes through. I know a lot of supporters want the confidence of knowing that somebody of repute has been brought in, but more than that I believe Erding is perfect for this club. As johnjmurphy17's scouting report on him suggests, he would be a perfect complementary piece to Demba Ba. I crave the thunder and lightning 1-2 punch. Here's our opportunity. Go get him, Alan.