WHY STURRIDGE ISN'T ON OUR TARGET LIST, OR NEWCASTLE'S

We at IWIWAG have been amused by recent reports that Newcastle United's interest in Daniel Sturridge has cooled, given the lack of evidence it was ever hot. You can find plenty of bloggers, message board commenters and distant media speculators who think Sturridge would make the perfect new Number 9 at St. James' Park. But if you can find a reliable report that anyone working for United has ever agreed, send it our way, because we can't. That's why Sturridge has never been on our ample target list, which we've tried to distinguish from other such lists by making it about who we think the club might sign - as opposed to who we think the club should sign, which strikes us as silly. We should sign Messi. He'd be great.

We have eyes and they work, so we understand why Sturridge causes excitement. He has pace to raise a chill. He's never unclever. He has a machine gun for a left foot. The other foot is getting there. And he's not near his peak.

But we also know this: when something doesn't appear logical from what's visible on the field, look off it. Newcastle's lack of interest almost has to be related to something fans and bloggers and forum posters can't see.

We don't know anything for certain about Sturridge's work habits or attitude. We do know he made a wage demand of £75,000 a week before he left his teens - a demand the richest club in the history of Earth wouldn't meet. This doesn't sound like someone who's easy to have around, though as a college teacher, I can tell you the same goes for many in his age bracket. And yet, if greed alone were enough to put clubs off players, professional sport would hardly exist.

Sturridge has been stuck behind a galaxy at his previous clubs. Still, their easy willingness to sell seems discordant with his prospects, as does the roster of rumored buyers. I don't know what troubles me more: the fact that it might take £15 million to sign a 21-year-old with a dozen quality starts to base it on, or the fact that the bidding has opened with Stoke at a mere six. Where the hell is Liverpool? They have a young striker who looks like a total bust. Oh, I forgot: they're not interested until we are. I'm not saying anything fishy is going on, but when you call Liverpool's scouting department, the receptionist answers "howay."

Something in all this is not right. The fair price would appear to be somewhere between where it is and where it's been quoted as heading. If the auction remains at or near seven figures, there'll be no logical reason for Newcastle United to shun Sturridge the player. Perhaps - especially for a club trying to maintain a top-rate locker room in the face of personnel upheaval - the point of reluctance is what we don't know about Sturridge the person, and what the clubs do. 

Comments

[Brian]

Anything less than 15 million for him would be a bargain and Ashley should jump all over it. Get N'zog and him and your pushing for for Europe. (with Barton and Enrique staying)

[Andy]

Completely agree with this comment, however with the way things are looking at the moment I would be delighted if we brought in one of them and held on to one of the others. Supporting the toon is like riding a roller coaster!

[Bob]

It's hard to read Newcastle's ambition right now. On one hand, as Tom tweeted today from our @NUFC_US account, hardly any club has signed so much talent as early as we have, so fans might want to put on their chill pants. But it's also been all bargains and there's not much sign Newcastle is interested in a statement signing like Sturridge would be, for better or worse. I just hope the apparent shyness to join the auctions on Sturridge and N'Zogbia and other big names floating out there is about the players themselves and not plain old flintiness, as I don't blame some fans for fearing, early as it may be.