Hatem Ben Arfa.

[LoveCity]

why don't our scouts do their job and find them before they come to the prem? rather than paying way over the odds on the back of one good season for newcastle

Good question, we did well with Kompany and Zabaleta who proved to be shrewd buys but haven't really made any cheap signings for high quality from the continent since. An attempt was made with Savic but...

We're always linked with good European or South American players who wouldn't cost a bomb but never seem to sign them anymore (except Savic). Mike Rigg repeatedly watched Marco Reus long before Dortmund signed him for a ridiculously cheap £13million or so, but we opted not to make a bid I guess even though he's an amazing player worth far more. I don't know how the system works, does Mancini yes/no them when a scout recommends the player?

Some good names are mentioned on here but people get hit with narrow-minded "Football Manager!" insults (not everyone watches just the Premier League...) when they mention these players who are viewable on our own Sky Sports or ESPN if people want to see them.

 

[decmancity]

why don't our scouts do their job and find them before they come to the prem? rather than paying way over the odds on the back of one good season for newcastle

Do you think it is that easy?

Ironically it is our ex chief of scouting Graham Carr who has overseen all the recent Newcastle buys.

Our scouts seem to be just concentrating on signing u18 players as seen with Rekik, Pozo, Lopes, Ntcham, Suarez and so on.
These are some of the supposed finest talents in Europe and we are gambling on one or more of them making it as a integral part of the team in the future.

 

[LoveCity]

Gary Worthington is in charge of scouting now, hope he does a good job and convinces Mancini to invest in some low-cost high-potential players who can go straight into first team contention (the youth recruitment is perfect at the moment). One of Mike Rigg's last acts before leaving was flying to Brazil to watch Neymar... :)

 

[paulgmurphyhumphries]

all the scouts know all the players, a matter of different levels. but we are now buying in a floor with a few goods.

 

[Nigel De Shlong]

Never passes..

 

[stan bowles]

I can see him and NDJ getting along really well.

 

[pee dubya]

why don't our scouts do their job and find them before they come to the prem? rather than paying way over the odds on the back of one good season for newcastle

Anyone involved with football at a professional level knew who Ben Arfa was and how talented he was, the fact was he was a gamble Newcastle took which has paid off. He has a long history of disciplinary issues, fallouts and fights with managers and team mates and unfulfilled talent.

The scouts at City will have known about every player Newcastle have bought and if they didn´t they should be cast out of the game, never to return. I mean, the only one that i didn´t know of was Tiote.

 

[Blueper]

HBA, KB, and SN emerged at the pretty same time. All North African decent, talented, promising, but liable (mental and attitude).

 

[Tevez City]

What a goal by his right foot ! even though he is a left footed.

 

[sergiokun]

Great player would be a good signing