[NCIH]

For all the Newcastle supporters...

Paris St Germain forward Amara Diane admits he would jump at the chance to join Newcastle United if the two clubs were to reach an agreement on his transfer.

Magpies boss Kevin Keegan was a spectator at the Parc des Princes last Saturday as PSG drew 1-1 with St Etienne in Ligue 1.

Diane, who started that match, claims the two clubs have held talks over his future.

'I know that there is contact between the two clubs,' said the Ivory Coast international.

'If they come to an agreement, I would go to Newcastle.'

Diane is a big fan of Keegan, who returned to St James' Park in January for a second spell as manager.

'Keegan is a coach that makes you dream,' said Diane, who joined PSG from Strasbourg in the summer of 2006.

'His team play attacking football, and playing in England would be a great opportunity for me.

'To play with Michael Owen would be great and there is also Obafemi Martins, who is a quality striker.

'The Premier League is very attractive and several of my Ivorian friends play there, so I would be in good company.'

Chelsea pair Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou and Emmanuel Eboue and Kolo Toure of Arsenal are among the Ivory Coast internationals who already play in the Premier League.

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As for Toure, of the limited games I saw of him, I thought he played well. But I believe the key factor is that he would be playing with Kolo. In this game that is all about mental strength, I think that playing alongside his brother would help keep him more focused, and probably raise the level of his play.

In any sport, I'm a big supporter of mental comfort, and the effect it has on your play. If your head isn't right, then you're not right physically. I'm not saying that Yaya isn't mentally there...I'm just saying that I don't think it'll hurt him to play with Kolo. I cannot see any harm that would cause.

But if Barca doesn't want him to go, it's all moot.

[Role Model]

I expect most PSG players would jump to play at any team, the state they're in.

[Ste]

Out of the players we have been linked with, I'd mark like a girl for.....

Villa
Silva
Barry
Rafinha
Bentley.

We won't get them all, 3 would make me untruly happy though, especially as Villa and Silva say they want to leave Valencia.

[Man Utd Fan]

You would mark for Gareth Barry?

[Ste]

Yeah as Xabi is pissing me off immensely and I could see Barry fitting in well.

[KME]

I find it funny that people are quick to critisise Barry now he could be moving to Liverpool, despite signing his praises all season and saying how fantastic it was that he got into the England team.

We need a proper set piece taker too, Gerrard's a renowned penalty misser, normally at least one a season, and most of his free kicks go nowhere, and our scoring figures from corners are staggeringly low.

[T-C]

I've always thought Barry wasjust alright, never been blown away by him.

I'd rather have an on form Alonso every day of the week.

[Trickindel]

There's no doubting that, on his day, Alonso is a better player than Barry. In truth, I think Alonso is among the best central midfielders in the world when he's at his very best. He's come in for a lot of criticism this season (unfairly, in my opinion), and I can't talk about him around other Liverpool fans with hearing something along the lines of "he's past it" or "he's not what he was 3 years ago". I'm a massive fan of his and don't think he deserves the vast majority of stick sent his way.

I'll admit that he's struggling to find the sort of form he was delivering when he first came to us, but I don't think the new system we're using is catered towards his strength. There can't be too many people who would deny that he's one of the best passers in the world, and that attribute is being somewhat wasted with him sitting back as a defensive midfielder. How is he supposed to split defences on a regular basis from his own half?

Still, even if he if being misused, I can't imagine Barry stepping right into his role and giving our side any marked improvement. To be honest, I'm not sure I've read anything official about him being brought in to be a central midfielder. Lest we forget, he's spent a large amount of his career playing on the left, and Benitez always seems to be attracted towards versatile players, who he can shuffle around at will. Obviously, Barry has improved his reputation immensely since switching to the middle (getting into the England team being evidence of this) and would arguably be wasted anywhere else at this moment, but our apparent lack of depth on the left side could be part of the reason we're showing interest in him.

I'd like to see us sign him, maybe not necessarily as a fixture in the first team or replacement to Alonso, but he would be a great addition to the squad. As United have shown this season, spending huge amounts on squad expansion pays massive dividends.

Originally Posted by KME

We need a proper set piece taker too, Gerrard's a renowned penalty misser, normally at least one a season, and most of his free kicks go nowhere, and our scoring figures from corners are staggeringly low.

Too true. I'm stunned every time I see Gerrard squaring up to take a free-kick that's within scoring range while Alonso takes a step back. Why did we take him off them again?

[T-C]

We spent money last summer on expanding the squad, yes. But all of the players we signed were young, Barry is late twenties.

Also we signed those players to expand the squad because our team is good enough to win the league while competing on all fronts. Liverpool's isn't at that level and signing squad players will not aid them that way.

The only reason I can see for Benitez going for Barry is because Alonso is off to Real in the summer.

[Trickindel]

Our first 11 isn't as far off as people make out. It just so happens that the positions that aren't up to scratch, are awful. Having someone who is generally considered to be a poor striker with little pace as a right winger speaks volumes for our desperation for some real quality there. Yes, I love the fact that he never stops working, but there is blatant room for improvement. It's similar on the left wing, except that our striker over there has bags of pace (let's face it, Babel should be up front). Bringing in a full-back, whether it be on the left or right, and having Arbeloa occupying the other side would sure us up in that respect, too. Everywhere else is gold.

Alonso leaving would kill me, so if we have the funds available to bring in people like Barry for the squad, and still compete for the signings of the two or three players we need to come into the first side, then I'll be a very happy man. We'll just have to hope that Hicks and Gillett can provide Benitez with the financial muscle to make it happen. Hah...