Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has a big summer ahead in the transfer market as he seeks to find a new captain as Kevin Nolan has departed to reunite with Sam Allardyce at Upton Park.
Pardew has faced the backlash from the fans and players head on and urged the club to get on with the fact Nolan will be plying his trade elsewhere, and said the following…
“This obviously happens in football and everybody needs to move on”
The Toon boss told the Shields Gazette, ‘I am aware that the club made Kevin a good offer to stay, but could not agree over the length of the contract offered”
He went on to wish him all the best with West Ham, where he is believed to have signed a five year contract for an undisclosed fee thought to be worth a measly £4m.
The 28 year old will hook up with formers boss big Sam as they both prepare for their new challenge to march the hammers back to the top flight immediately.
According to The Guardian the attacking midfielder will lead the charge and take the captains armband, as he will look to repeat his success in the Championship, where during the 2009-10 campaign he netted 17 league goals helping the magpies bounce straight back up.
Pardew has been linked with various candidates and its believed in the next 48 hours a deal for want away West Ham front man Demba Ba could be finalised.
The Geordies have already seen the new arrival of Yohan Cabaye be completed and with a list of targets that consists of PSG hit man Mevlut Erding, Bayern Leverkusan midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta and Blaise Matuidi – Pardew is confident the name Kevin Nolan will be forgotten about come August… We shall see.
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Great Toon piece, ‘Dirty Weekends’ HERE
