One of the more interesting, and frankly confusing, transfer stories that has cropped up over the last few weeks is the proposed exit from St James’ Park of Joey Barton. Given that he has been one of Newcastle’s most important players this season why are they even contemplating selling him, and why isn’t more being made of this?
Mike Ashley hasn’t been one to shy away from making unpopular decisions lately and I don’t understand why the proposed selling of Barton isn’t being seen as another strange move by fans and media alike.
It is Barton’s wages that seem to be at the centre of his move. Barton is on £67,000 a-week and Ashley is not willing to offer the midfielder a new contract on similar terms. This has alerted Aston Villa to his availability; however they too have stalled on a deal due to their reluctance to offer him such high wages.
It escapes me though why Newcastle aren’t doing their best to hold on to a player who has been a revolution for them this season. After three reasonably quiet seasons on the pitch at St James’ Park, I don’t think that anybody could have foreseen just how important he has been for the Toon this year. Along with Andy Carroll, Barton is Newcastle’s joint highest goal provider with six assists and also has two goals to his name. It is no coincidence that last week Alan Pardew tipped Barton to scoop Newcastle’s Player of the Year Award.
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Obviously I’m aware that Barton has had his problems, but minus a small spat with Morten Gamst Pedersen which he apologized for the following day, the worst thing that he’s done is grow that ridiculous moustache – here’s hoping that he’s (touch wood) grown out of his reckless ‘bad boy’ image. At the start of the season it seemed like it was going to be a case of ‘same old same old’ when Barton picked up three bookings before the end of August, but it wasn’t until the 2nd January before he picked up his fourth caution – a span of 14 games in which he completed 90 minutes in each.
Mike Ashley seems keen to get Barton off of the club’s pay roll, but Alan Pardew appears desperate to hold on to him. I suppose through this transfer story we will get an idea of just how far Ashley is willing to back his recently appointed manager. You would assume that given the flak that Ashley received for bringing in Pardew, the much maligned owner would do all that he could to ensure that his manager’s tenure was a success.
As much as I can’t believe that I’m saying this myself, Joey Barton has been key to a Newcastle’s impressive rise to eighth in the Premier League and they would be foolish to get rid of him. To sign somebody who would weigh in with the numbers that Barton has this season would cost a fair amount, so why would they sell Barton when he has expressed no desire to leave the club? But then, where would football writers, like myself, be if Newcastle did what we expected of them?…
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