He is a supposedly practicing Muslim, but he was born and raised in France (Paris). He also had a fairly high profile split from his Muslim wife after an affair with an English Anglo model who he is now married to.
As for City, any time they lose someone who had played a role there is the opportunity for them to fuck it up with someone who doesn’t adapt well, so fingers crossed.
I was actually thinking less of religion (Saudi Islam is a culture shock for lots of Muslims) and more the simple fact that he speaks Arabic.
On the basis of recent photos, certainly an easier adjustment for him than Grealish…
We should be all over him at that price. One of the best box to box players at his peak at a decent price. Quite why we are looking only at 21 and 22 year olds for the other midfield spot is a mystery.
Maybe we’re looking to strengthen Newcastle and rely on Henderson and Fabinho for the important matches again.
We’ve tried signing him before apparently, so if we arent trying for him this window there must be a definite reason as to why that is.
He may want CL football immediately. Newcastles Salary may be much higher, the story could be just baseless rumour. We’ll just have to wait and see.
I have a hard time believing that Barella would choose Howe and Newcastle over Klopp and Liverpool, even with them offering higher wages and CL football.
Anything is possible I guess, although I still think that for whatever reason we just aren’t in for him. Which I fear will prove a mistake.
One of City’s biggest strengths is that obviously they have certain depth, but the way Pep works he easily switches to other players in their evolution, season in, season out. He doesn’t “wait” for players and if someone doesn’t want to be there, it’s fine. Cancelo plays two quality seasons, next season he’s not even at City anymore. Rico Lewis comes in and then Stones takes over the extra midfielder in possession role. Mahrez plays a 24-goals season, next season dropped out of the team more. Ake was close to leaving for a while, now he’s more of a regular than Laporte. Dias dropped out of the team after his quality first season, now he’s back again. Stones was also in and out when he was only a CB.
Although Newcastle are supposedly “in talks” with Inter for Barella, Fab Rom says not quite …
https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1669105590927253504?s=20
So basically they won’t be signing him for 50m.
It would appear that they would like to sign him but they haven’t actually done anything about it. An Italian club is involved so this’ll probably drag on all summer.
AOC.
Fair play.
If we had won a game we dominated, he would have been donned in red then? Stupid thing to say.
The last one (and the amount under the table).
That’s it, Jude. Kick us in the dick again just because.
One day we will thrash this lot. I will wait.
Does Jadon Sancho only have one facial expression?
Yeah there is no way he would go for as little as £50m, and no way Newcastle would be allowed a free run at him without pretty much every other club in Europe bar Madrid being at the table.
I can see Inter needing to sell, but the personal terms would have to be remarkable. An Italy midfielder leaving Serie A at the age of 26 is rather unusual - the last such transfer I can think of is Aquilani, which sort of says something on its own.
Milan isn’t exactly a place with fantastic weather, but it ain’t Newcastle. Italian players often seem to struggle to adjust, and that adjustment is not just London.