And the award for most protracted transfer story of the summer 2024 window goes to… | OneFootball

Yes, you guessed it, the Newcastle United pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.

I can’t say the player in question has stood out as a brilliant defender to me… but others will likely have seen more of him than I have.

The topic has certainly garnered a few debates and a few column inches in recent days, with Steve Parish seemingly intent on pedalling the player for the highest price.

Nothing unusual or wrong with that but a point has to be reached where it’s accepted that we as a club are being fleeced. I personally feel that point has now been reached.

The fact that he is a current England international is artificially hiking his price somewhat I feel.

Even by today’s crazy prices, is he REALLY £70m worth of centre back? I’d also hazard a guess that Crystal Palace and Parish will be looking at our situation with Fabian Schar and wondering if they can up the fee by a couple of extra million since Saturday.

As I see it, the club have four options.

Do nothing

This would be a risk.

We are without Schar for three matches and can utilise Lloyd Kelly at centre back with Dan Burn. Then there’s Emil Krafth. Not ideal, but if Eddie Howe sees that as being an acceptable short term solution, it would end the nonsense I’m seeing with the Marc Guehi saga.

Appeal Fabian Schar’s red card

It’s worth a go. It might get the ban reduced lessening the problem. Then again, knowing the way the FA deal with such matters, it’ll likely get thrown out.

The fact that the diving cheat Ben Brereton Diaz gets away with it is frankly scandalous. Red card Schar if you like, but to roll around the floor like he did to no punishment, will give the player carte blanche to do it again. Maybe the next player he tries it on will “get his money’s worth” where Schar didn’t.

Sign Marc Guehi

I’ve already nailed my colours to the mast that he’s overpriced, MASSIVELY overpriced, and it’s an opinion others have also observed and raised concerns.

A deal worth £65m is a lot of money, although at 24, Guehi would solve the centre back slot for years to come and if Eddie Howe wants him then fair enough. My opinion on the fee and quality of the player isn’t going to matter a jot.

Sign someone else

Be it a loan deal or a full on signing, this seems to be the next step at this stage. The clock is ticking on this transfer window and IF we are intent on bringing another centre back through the door then other targets must be pursued at some point. There must be others the club have on their radar.

The solution I come to is a direct comparison with our striking situation. This summer it was clear we needed an understudy to Alexander Isak and the perennially injured Callum Wilson. We’ve addressed that by signing William Osula for £10m plus add-ons. He’s not prolific by any means but he will do a job. Last season we had no cover in that department. If Isak was out, we were more often that not, screwed. Some may not be happy and see the signing as a damp squib but like I’ve said, he’ll do a job. A barnstorming signing like Isak can wait, as can a top centre back.

So on that note, my preference to solve the centre back issue is both the second option and the fourth.

Who knows, the appeal on Schar’s red card may work, stranger things have happened. In the meantime, best start looking at other centre backs. We all know Schar isn’t getting any younger anyway so it’s glaringly obvious where we will need to strengthen, be that now or in the not too distant future.

I’ve banged the drum for a young up and coming player to learn from the likes of Schar, Dan Burn, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles. The fact that the latter two will be back in the new year can also kick the centre back can down the road for a bit. Fabian Schar’s suspension could just be a temporary hindrance. I say that with fingers firmly crossed.

The point being that if we can sign a player like we did with Lascelles back in the day, loan him out or keep him as back up, he’ll still be learning his game and hopefully becoming the top defender we want. There MUST be someone in that mould a league or two down with a bright future ahead of him and the makings of a top centre back AND at a way way lower fee than your 60 and 70 millions.

However, as a word of caution, if there is no one available that is better than what we’ve got, some fans may have to accept the club doing my first option, riding this window out and looking at the situation either in January or next summer, safe in the knowledge that we have saved £70m and not hindered ourselves for a later date.