Viduka to Newcastle Newcastle could be ready for a shock swoop for Middlesbrough's Mark Viduka to solve their attacking problems. The 29-year-old Australia international managed only 21 appearances and seven goals for the Teessiders last season after his £4.5million summer switch from Leeds, and played just 10 minutes of football after Christmas. It is understood Boro boss Steve McClaren could be persuaded to part with Viduka at the right price after setting up Aiyegbeni Yakubu's £7.5million move from Portsmouth. Newcastle have spent the last few months attempting to find replacements for Craig Bellamy, who has been told he will not play for the club under Graeme Souness, and Patrick Kluivert, who has left St James' Park for Valencia. With skipper Alan Shearer due to finish his playing career at the end of the new season, there is a desperate need to find reinforcements. Real Madrid's Michael Owen has shown little encouragement and Robbie Keane of Tottenham is a target for several other clubs. It is uncertain how fans would react to the possibility of signing Viduka, following a dreadful last campaign for the Magpies and limited funding available. Viduka arrived on Teesside as the only one of McClaren's signings last summer to have cost money, and although he linked well with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink when fit, his lack of action proved frustrating. Souness, who has also been linked repeatedly with Feyenoord's Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt, has little margin for error as he looks to rebuild the squad he inherited from Sir Bobby Robson. While he might admire Viduka's ability, he would have to be certain of his fitness before he could formalise any interest. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bit of a strange one, but could be a decent signing if he can prove his fitness...
Agreed!! Can't see him leaving boro tho, even now they've got Yakubu now! Viduka, Hasselbiank and Yakubu are 3 pretty handy players to have around imo Boro are in europe too..
Definitely a quality player, but according to that article, they're billing him as the replacement for Bellamy? Surely he's more in the same mould as Shearer?
But he's a fat lazy bastard. Granted he's quite a desent player, but is his heart in it? I don't think he really gives a fuck about playing tbh. Not the sort of player we need after seeing Kluivert at first hand last season! As the song goes, ''he's just a fat Aussie bastard, just a fat Aussie bastardssssssssss...............''
Viduka is one of my favorite players. In the right team he can be Cantona-esq. Hes skillful as fuck and a big ****. Top striker material...... BUT is he fit?? HOPE THE SCUM DONT GET HIM.
when he is fit he's a different class, he's fucking great at holding the ball up. i think mcclaren has it made with viduka, yakubu and fat eddie hasselbaink. gives us some decent players to rotate, especially with europe. just hope zenden stays.
