Newcastle United

Steve McClaren's reign as Newcastle United manager is over, with Rafael Benitez named as his likely successor.

Continue for updates.

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Newcastle Announce McClaren Departure

Friday, March 11

"I would like to thank Steve personally for his services to Newcastle United. He is a man of integrity and class and he has conducted himself with great dignity during this difficult time," said Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley, adding:

Steve worked tirelessly to try and bring success to Newcastle United. He has the utmost respect of all the players, staff and management and he leaves with our very best wishes and sincere thanks.

We feel that a change is now needed in order to give the Club the best possible chance of securing its Premier League future.

A further announcement on a successor to Steve will be made in due course.

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Report: Benitez Talks Gather Pace

Thursday, March 10

"Newcastle will give Benitez the title of ‘manager’ as they look to appoint him before Monday’s trip to Leicester," reported Craig Hope of the Daily Mail.

Hope added "talks between intermediaries and managing director Charnley have been very encouraging," and said Benitez is "set to meet with Newcastle officials."

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Newcastle on Verge of Relegation After McClaren Reign

Former England manager McClaren endured a tumultuous nine months at the Newcastle helm since replacing John Carver in June 2015, winning just six of his 28 Premier League matches in charge this season.

According to the Sun's David Coverdale, McClaren informed friends he knew the axe was coming, and former Newcastle owner, Sir John Hall, was quoted giving his take on the situation:

Steve’s not getting them [the squad] to play for himself. I think it’s probably time that he goes.

They need to find someone that can harness the team. 

You’ve got to ask yourself what’s going wrong, and it all comes down to management.

You’ve got to change it. It’s not happening out there. 

If I was the owner, I’d be watching and have someone in mind to bring in. 

It’s a gamble you take, but at this moment in time, we are prime candidates for relegation. 

It’s a rescue operation now. There’s a lot at stake.

McClaren arrived at St James' Park just a fortnight after he was sacked by Championship outfit Derby County in May 2015, having also managed English clubs Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest in his coaching career. 

Following the recent defeat to Bournemouth, McClaren was quoted by Sky Sports saying "no way will I quit." In the end, he didn't have to.

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley backed manager Steve McClaren with some big signings in January.

However, in the video above, Bleacher Report Insider Dean Jones tells Marcus Speller that Ashley hasn't ruled out sacking the former Manchester United assistant, and Newcastle's next two home games could be crucial to his tenure at the club.

Good news, Newcastle fans: For all the Magpies' activity in the transfer market over the past year, the club managed to pick up the bargain of the January transfer window.

That's according to analysis from the CIES Football Observatory, which estimates transfer values based on studies of over 1,500 deals since 2009 (h/t BBC Sport).

The study found that Steve McClaren's side underpaid Swansea City to the tune of £11.5 million for Jonjo Shelvey, though it also concluded that Newcastle overspent £5.4 million on Tottenham Hotspur's £12 million winger Andros Townsend.

#ThatMomentWhen you complete a *dream* move to Chinese football #JacksonMartinez pic.twitter.com/z7aipEUIBM

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 3, 2016

As for the worst deals of the window, Jackson Martinez's £31 million move from Atletico Madrid to Guangzhou tops the list (the Chinese club are said to have overpaid a whopping £18.43 million for the Colombian), while Ramires' shock £25 million move from Chelsea to Jiangsu Suning was apparently overfunded by £8.36 million.

Best Deals of the January Transfer Window

1. Jonjo Shelvey (Swansea-Newcastle): £12 million (underpaid by £11.5 million)
2. Augusto Fernandez (Celta Vigo-Atletico Madrid): £5 million [reported] (underpaid by £2.48 million)
3. Mario Suarez (Fiorentina-Watford): £4 million [reported] (underpaid by £2.24 million)

Worst Deals of the January Transfer Window

1. Jackson Martinez (Atletico Madrid-Guangzhou): £31 million (overpaid by £18.43 million)
2. Ramires (Chelsea-Jiangsu Suning): £25 million [reported] (overpaid by £8.36 million)
3. Lewis Grabban (Norwich-Bournemouth): £7 million (overpaid by £6 million) 

*Best and worst deals per CIES Football Observatory

[CIES Football Observatory, h/t BBC Sport]

Newcastle United added to their scoring options on transfer deadline day, as Ivory Coast international Seydou Doumbia completed a loan move to St James' Park.

Doumbia's move was confirmed by the Magpies:

CONFIRMED: Newcastle United sign striker Seydou Doumbia on loan. More at https://t.co/iDkcawZlBb. #SeydouSigns #NUFC pic.twitter.com/egpXiOagvm

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) February 1, 2016

Doumbia expressed his delight at the opportunity to play for the Magpies, via Anthony Marshall of the club's official website:

I'm delighted to be a Newcastle United player.

I've already started to prepare. I've arrived and I'm ready to go.

It has always been a dream to play in the Premier League and now that dream has come true, so I'm absolutely delighted.

I am looking forward to helping the club get some wins and climb the table.

The 28-year-old spent the first half of the 2015-16 season on loan with former club CSKA Moscow after a failed stint with AS Roma. According to WhoScored.com, he scored five goals in 13 Russian Premier League outings.

Known for his impressive pace, Doumbia joined the Giallorossi in January of 2015 after a solid career with CSKA but failed to live up to the lofty expectations in the Italian capital.

His poor form in Serie A may raise some concerns regarding his ability to score in the Premier League, but judging by his numbers in the UEFA Champions League, as noted by Sky Sports News HQ, he should be just fine:

Seydou Doumbia has the fourth best minutes per goal ratio out of current @ChampionsLeague players. #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/Ts1VJhSA2p

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 31, 2016

Doumbia is at his best when he has space to run with the ball at his feet or in behind the defenders, and he always presents a strong target inside the box. He has a knack for scoring spectacular goals on the counter-attack and is not afraid to pull the trigger from well outside the box.

Here's a look at some of the goals he scored for CSKA:

Roma were seemingly determined to move Doumbia this winter, which is why the Magpies were able to land him on such a favourable deal.

While there's no guarantee the Ivorian will be a success in England, there are few risks involved for Newcastle, and the club's fans have to be happy with this signing. Doumbia will immediately challenge Aleksandar Mitrovic for a spot in the starting XI and will, at the very least, provide depth and versatility at the striker position.

As far as deadline day moves go, you can't ask for much more than that. The Magpies face a battle to avoid relegation in the second half of the season, and with Doumbia in the fold, their chances of succeeding are undoubtedly greater.

Follow @ReverschPass

Andros Townsend completed his move from Tottenham Hotspur to Newcastle United on Wednesday, bringing an end to his lengthy tenure with Spurs.

Newcastle confirmed the transfer, a five-and-a-half-year deal, and posted a video of their new man on Twitter:

#AndrosToonsend pic.twitter.com/fIr0jcUfdW

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) January 27, 2016

Townsend soon made it clear he's delighted to have joined the Magpies, per the team's official site:

I'm delighted to be here.

Newcastle United is a fantastic club with great fans, a great stadium and great tradition.

As soon as I heard Newcastle were interested in me, there was only one place I wanted to go so I can't wait to get started.

Manager Steve McClaren echoed the thoughts of his new winger. He hailed the England international as a player with a "lot to prove," while talking up the qualities the 24-year-old will add: "Andros is a winger with an old-fashioned style. He can play on the right or the left, is two-footed, quick, very direct and loves taking on defenders and crossing the ball."

On Tuesday, the player himself made it clear he would be leaving his boyhood club when he tweeted this photo:

Emotional..... 😢 #16years pic.twitter.com/QghZymh6PB

— Andros Townsend (@andros_townsend) January 26, 2016

The 24-year-old came up through Tottenham's academy and caught the attention of fans across north London in 2013 with a series of impressive performances. The tricky winger seemed primed for a true breakout campaign in the 2014-15 season, but it never happened as he failed to take the next step in his development.

Townsend gradually lost his place in the squad and became little more than an afterthought in 2015-16, spending several months working with the under-21 side. The England international kept working hard throughout it all, but a move seemed almost inevitable.

Per FourFourTwo's James Maw, fans may not be giving the forward enough credit:

I know Townsend committed the cardinal sin of having some shots in some football matches, but he's a far better player than most claim.

— James Maw (@JamesTMaw) January 26, 2016

Townsend has never been one to light up the stat sheet, but he remains an intriguing talent who was regarded as a future regular for England's national team not so long ago.

A team was bound to come calling for his services before long, and in many ways, this is an excellent move for the Magpies. Newcastle are in dire need of another creative force in attack and have now brought in a young player with plenty of upside who is determined to prove himself at the Premier League level.

Townsend is still young but already has bags of experience in the league, so there won't be much of an adjustment period. And while he hasn't done much with Spurs' senior team this season, he has remained busy with the under-21 team and shouldn't struggle for fitness.

Spurs can't complain, either, as the club cashes in on a player it had no real use for. Townsend was in desperate need of a fresh start and has got exactly what he needed.

In a world with Peter Odemwingie, no transfer story should really surprise, though this one involving Newcastle United's Aleksandar Mitrovic comes very close.

The former captain of Serbian club Partizan Belgrade, Albert Nadj, claimed that Mitrovic's father went to extreme measures to force his son's transfer to Anderlecht in 2013, per Goal.com.

Nadj, who until recently worked as a transfer coordinator for Partizan, claimed Mitrovic's father threatened to bomb the club if they didn't approve the move to Belgium.

Mitrovic came through Partizan's youth ranks and re-joined the team in 2012 after spending his first professional season at Teleoptik.

After a successful first season, he was starting to attract the attention of the likes of Anderlecht.

"I was against his transfer," Nadj told Blic. "I believed he should have stayed and improved more at Partizan and that Partizan could earn even more from his transfer.

"And while there was this big discussion over whether to sell him or not, his father came and said he will drop a bomb on the club if we refused to release Aleksandar! I threw the man out of my office, but some politicians even contacted us after that, putting pressure on us to sell Aleksandar."

Mitrovic did make the move to Anderlecht and scored 44 goals in 90 appearances in two seasons in Belgium before joining Newcastle for £13 million in 2015.

[Goal.com]

West Bromwich Albion's Saido Berahino has been linked with a move away from the club for some time.

In the video above, Bleacher Report insider Dean Jones tells Marcus Speller that Newcastle United are close to making a substantial bid for the striker, which could be enough to seal his signature.

OFFER: £2.4m jacket giveaway... go to https://t.co/3gDhPiiwb7 to enter #win #SDGiveaway #freejacket pic.twitter.com/Y6Cb4Nn3DF

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) January 14, 2016

Newcastle United fans are in for a special treat if their team are victorious in Saturday's Premier League clash with West Ham United.

In addition to a potential three points, supporters could receive an upgrade to their winter wardrobe, courtesy of a special offer from Sports Direct, the company run by Newcastle owner Mike Ashley.

Unsurprisingly, considering Ashley's low standing with the Geordie support, the offer hasn't gone down all that well: 

@NUFC oh do.go.away. Once again proving club is vehicle for selling fattys tat

— michael taylor (@michael33495998) January 14, 2016

@NUFC did Callum the intern screw up the bulk buy?

— iwantcurlyhair2 (@Iwantcurlyhair2) January 14, 2016

@NUFC i would check the fire rating of those jackets....they look flammable....

— Ged (@northernersrock) January 14, 2016

@NUFC GET THIS DOWN, ABSOLUTE EMBARRASSMENT

— Ryan (@JustCallMeRyan1) January 14, 2016

@NUFC embarrassment. I'd rather go naked.

— anthony brady (@antob83) January 14, 2016

The offer does, of course, depend on Newcastle beating the high-flying Hammers on Saturday, which isn't all that likely.

[Twitter]

Newcastle United have completed the signing of midfielder Jonjo Shelvey from Swansea City.

The Magpies confirmed the deal on Twitter, with the former Liverpool playmaker penning a five-and-a-half-year contract at St. James' Park:

CONFIRMED: Newcastle United have signed England midfielder Jonjo Shelvey https://t.co/iDkcawZlBb #NUFC pic.twitter.com/R44HZggvXP

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) January 12, 2016

The player expressed his delight at finally completing his move to the north-east, per Lee Ryder of the Newcastle Chronicle:

#nufc Shelvey said: I'm very excited to be here. I'm so glad that it's finally done."

— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) January 12, 2016

He expanded on how the process unfolded, according to Ryder writing for the Chronicle: "I drove up through the night to be here so it's been a manic 24 hours but it's all been worth it to come here and play for this great club."

Shelvey departed the Swans with a record of 10 goals in 96 total appearances for the South Wales outfit, having helped them finish eighth in the Premier League last season.

The Sun's David Coverdale highlighted the splurging trend that's already developing at Newcastle under manager Steve McClaren:

After Shelvey, the spending in the McClaren reign is already up to near £70million... #nufc

— David Coverdale (@dpcoverdale) January 12, 2016

The 23-year-old is Newcastle's second midfield signing in as many days after the capture of Henri Saivet for an undisclosed fee on Monday.

Shelvey will look to help Newcastle edge away from their current relegation struggle in the second half of the season, with McClaren's team currently 18th in the table and two points below Swansea City.

Newcastle United have completed the signing of Bordeaux midfielder Henri Saivet for a reported fee in the region of €6 million (£4.5 million), the club has confirmed, also revealing that the player has signed on a five-and-a-half year contract.  

According to Get French Football News, Bordeaux manager Willy Sagnol could not hide his frustration at the loss of the 25-year-old: "For me, Saivet was our most important player in the last six months. Henri Saivet wanted to leave the club and was looking for another challenge. He has been here for a long time. I gave my agreement for the departure of Saivet."

The Senegal international is the latest Ligue 1 import to join the Magpies' ranks, with the club having invested heavily in players from the French top flight in recent years.

Saivet started for Bordeaux in 26 of his 27 total appearances for the club this season, and he'll be expected to jostle alongside the likes of Moussa Sissoko and Jack Colback for a place in Newcastle's midfield.

Manager Steve McClaren will hope his newest acquisition can help guide the club from their relegation-threatened position and into safer territory.

The player has, in the past, lined up out wide for Bordeaux, but Yahoo writer Kristan Heneage recently insisted the player has coped well in a more central role under Sagnol:

@t_clements I'd really contest that. Saivet has actually done really well in central midfield. I'm sure @Gibney_A will back that up.

— Kris Heneage (@KHeneage) January 10, 2016

Saivet's main priority will be to stem the flow of goals being leaked at St. James' Park this season after Newcastle conceded 35 goals in their first 20 games of the campaign—the third-highest total of any club.

According to WhoScored.com, Saivet left Bordeaux as one of the French outfit's best defensive assets, averaging a high of 3.8 tackles per game despite playing more minutes of the league campaign than any other player (1,560).