• Exclusive – Quinn: Arsenal have enquired about Joey Barton

    Former Newcastle striker Micky Quinn has told talkSPORT that Arsenal have enquired about the availability of midfielder Joey Barton.

    The often controversial Toon star had a good season at St James’ Park weighing in with nine assists as they finished 12th after promotion from the Championship.

    And Quinn told the All Sports Show: “I know through a third party that Arsenal have enquired about Joey Barton.

    “What I’m gutted about as an ex-Newcastle player is that the spine of the team, the personality of the team is going to be gone.

    “Why are they letting players like Joey Barton go if they have any ambition, but it’s only going to Arsenal’s gain.

    “He’ll put a bit of steel into that Arsenal team, he goes forward, he was made captain, he’s grown up and he said himself that he’s making up for lost time for stupidity and injury, he wants to get to the top.

    “I think Joey has settled down a lot now, we know he’s a bit of a hot-head, we know he’s paid on and off the pitch for his stupidity but he’s settled down.”

    And Quinn also made his feeling about Newcastle’s current transfer policy which has seen the club bring in three players from France for small transfer fees and in the case of Sylvain Marveaux a free transfer.

    The former Newcastle star fumed: “I’m past judging Mike Ashley and his decisions, they make no rhyme or reason. Joey Barton has got one year left on his contract and I thought with the likes of Kevin Nolan they could actually take Newcastle into the top eight of the Premier League and add to the likes of Cheikh Tiote instead of selling their best players all the time.

    “What they’re trying to do is bring in cheap foreign players a bit like Tiote, they’ve had one player that they bought for £3million and they’re trying to go down the same route.

    “What doesn’t make sense to me is the players that they’re bringing in from all over Europe don’t know Newcastle, they don’t know how the city works, it is cold up there.

    “If they get a lot of foreign players in they need to hit the ground running next season because we know the Premier League is unforgiving and there’s only one way they ‘re going to go, down.”

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Comments

Comment by 06chapline posted Monday, June 20, 2011 - 20:07

Please arsene, forget about Barton. You said you wanted a hard tackling, experienced, central midfielder. Alan smith is your man. He has played for England, played in the latter stages of he champions league and has won multiple trophies. As for hard tackling, well, he has a reputation for that. If that isn't enough then what about the fact you can get him for pennies, literally. Although he has had problems with injury that is a mixture of bad luck and a result of his raw passion to get stuck in. Even though he is in his thirties his performance has not suffered and will give the team the experience it needs to balance with the young guns. Please arsene, you know it's the right choice


Comment by hotspurhaig posted Monday, June 20, 2011 - 18:58

he'll end up punching wenger, now that would be worth seeing!


Comment by jollyroger posted Monday, June 20, 2011 - 05:05

Quinny behave......Nolan and Barton wanted contracts that would be paying them in excess of £55k a week when they woud be ageing stars past their 33rd birthdays.....ridiculous !.....I mean you were a carthorse @23 and by 33 you were advertising for the local pie=maker!! LOL

Ashley has brought 3 top quality players in this summer,and got good deals on them,injuries are part and parcel of the game and just because players have had injuries doesnt make them bad players.

NUFC is being run as a sound business now and I think the fans are starting to see this !


Comment by Magpieinusa posted Monday, June 20, 2011 - 04:06

Agree completely with Micky Quinn's comments. Ashley is setting this club back 25 years to the days when we couldn't hang on to Waddle, Beardsley ... Or Gazza. Back then, we sold rare talent and bought several players with the proceeds ... Then, invariably we went down and spent 5 or six seasons in the second division. I'd like to think the regime at Newcste were just incompetent ... But unfortunately I think it is worse than that... I think Newcastle is a publicity toy for Ashley's business ... As long as we are in the news, be it getting relegated. Promoted ... Or sacking a good honest manager (honestly part would stop anyone fitting in with this lot) . He could care less about profitability of NUFC ... as long as it keeps making the headlines. And as far assellingbthe club ... That is a sham also ... Why would he ... He talks about it from time to time ... Because that gets him more publicity ... But he has no, and never has had , any intention to sell. As I said ... I'd like to think it was incompetances from the three of them ... But I fear not


Comment by Ogban posted Sunday, June 19, 2011 - 21:11

Forget Joey. Get us Ferllainey (or whatever his name!) from Everton. That's who we need please Arsene. He just stated today that he wants out of Everton to play in The CL


Comment by geordiepeacock posted Sunday, June 19, 2011 - 18:37

Ashley's main concern is to cut running costs to a minimum. He will bring in free transfers and buy young players as cheaply as possible and hope to sell them later at a profit. The high earners like Barton and Collocinni will be sold. It is all about money not football and Pardew has absolutely no say.


Comment by brad15877 posted Sunday, June 19, 2011 - 17:41

He'd be a fantastic signing for Arsenal. Would add some much needed steel in the center of the field. People will talk about his disciplinary problems but he's no worse than Vieira used to be and that was back in the days when we used to dish it out a bit but actually won things.


Comment by Arsenal1Again posted Sunday, June 19, 2011 - 15:40

This is a brilliant article.


Comment by sidekick posted Sunday, June 19, 2011 - 14:38

Barcelona have most of Spanish team in their squad. Nufc have bought Ben Arfa, Sylvain Marveaux and Cabaye - so thats the France midfield acquired and we had bids in for the France forward line, Gameiro (gone to psg) Gervinho (possibly going to Arsenal) and Melvut Erdinc who may be signed. Think Mike Ashley knows exactly what he is doing!