MARVEAUX COMES OUT OF NOWHERE

All indications for the past six months or so have been that French winger Sylvain Marveaux was set to sign with Liverpool this summer after his contract with Rennes ran up. We didn't even bother including him in our summer transfer guide because it didn't seem like Newcastle had a shot at landing him.

And then, BAM! Marveaux's face popped up on Newcastle's official site on Saturday. It's the latest twist in a manic summer on Tyneside. There were rumors Marveaux failed a medical at Liverpool due to the groin problem that sidelined him for the majority of his final season at Rennes, but the player denied those claims.

Marveaux is a pacy left-sided player who can also play centrally as an attacking midfielder. So, yes, I'm thinking the same thing you are: This most likely ends United's pursuit of Charles N'Zogbia, if it ever had genuinely started. I would have loved to seen the return of the Zog, but I can't blame Newcastle for opting for a player on a free over one with a £12 million price tag.

The 25-year-old Marveaux brings a somewhat troublesome injury history with him (a torn hamstring sabotaged his 2008-09 season and he only managed 10 games last season because of his groin injury). Still, stealing a player from Liverpool's clutches is yet another sign of admirable ambition from United's decision-makers this summer. Risky? Maybe. Aggressive? You bet.