Newcastle boss ready for big transfer push

**1892NUFF** Thu Jun 09, 2011 10:47 pm

ALAN PARDEW will return to his desk tomorrow at Newcastle United’s Benton base looking to crank up the gears in the transfer market – and begin plans for a summer of hard work on the training field.

And Pardew’s No 2 John Carver today admitted: “I’ve never known a bunch of players and a backroom team that are so keen to get back to work.”

French international midfielder Yohan Cabaye jets into Tyneside tomorrow, with United poised to make their first summer signing of the season in the shape of the Lille man.

But Pardew will clearly be looking to add to that in the next three weeks before the Toon players meet up once again for pre-season training on July 4.

The Chronicle understands Pardew is open-minded on the amount of players that he will bring through the door at St James’ Park, with question marks over the futures of several of last season’s influential stars.

Cabaye will be unveiled by United tomorrow, but there has been no fresh bid from West Ham United following their initial £3m offer for skipper Kevin Nolan.

The Magpies do retain an interest in Wigan Athletic and former Toon star Charles N’Zogbia but, with the Frenchman rated at £12m, no bid has been tabled by the black-and-whites.

However, sources close to the player today indicated that Sunderland fancy their chances of landing the ex-Le Havre man, with the Wearsiders now flush following the £20m sale of Jordan Henderson.

Yet reports this morning linking Newcastle with Getafe and Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng are not true, with Sunderland, Stoke City, Wigan Athletic and Bolton all thought to be in the chase for the African player.

Newcastle are expected to confirm new deals for right-back Danny Simpson, Geordie midfielder Michael Richardson, England Under-19 international Ryan Donaldson and promising Academy defender Remi Streete in the next fortnight.

And while a recharged Pardew will be anticipating a summer of hard work, his assistant Carver gave an insight into the hunger of the United boss and his players.

Carver – looking forward to his first pre-season at the club since the halcyon days of Sir Bobby Robson back in 2004 – said: “The one thing that stuck out during the last few weeks of training was that the lads were already talking about the new season.

“Everybody was looking forward to a well-earned break after the season just gone – everybody from the manager to the players and all of the backroom staff here and the people behind the scenes.

“But the hunger and enthusiasm here is second to none, and everybody is geared up for the challenge that lies in wait.

“When you have that desire to succeed, coming into train becomes a pleasure for the players and everybody is looking forward to that.

“We have our tour of America coming up as well, and trips like that are excellent when it comes to players bonding.

“As a coaching team it is not ideal to come in mid-season like we did at the turn of the year but, with a pre-season of hard work ahead, we can look to kick on and build on last year.”