NUFC NO LONGER SHOPPING IN DISCOUNT BIN

We probably should have expected the unexpected with Modibo Maiga's all-but-official transfer to Newcastle United. This is Newcastle, after all.

L'Equipe broke the news Friday that the deal was off after the Malian striker failed his medical earlier in the week. And with that, apparently, a transfer four-plus months in the making went up in flames. We've reshuffled our January transfer guide as a result.

So where does Newcastle go from here? It will be hard pressed to find another frontline striker for the kind of money United was expected to pay for Maiga (€7 million was the figure most widely reported, which would be less than £6 million). The likes of Olivier Giroud and Luuk de Jong might be more impressive captures than Maiga, but they'll also come at significantly higher costs.

Same with Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace's highly rated 19-year-old striker who was linked with Newcastle on Friday after the Maiga news broke. We haven't yet added him to our transfer guide because we haven't seen consistent reports of United's interest in Zaha. If the rumors continue, though, we will.

Of course, Newcastle could still go back to Sochaux with a smaller offer for Maiga or try to arrange a loan with an option to buy.

If that doesn't happen, though, it looks like United will need to spend some serious cash if it wants to strengthen its strike force.