When you say past their best then i have to agree. But that doesn't mean that they are not useful players. Owen seems to get quite a bit of stick which is i personally feel is a bit unfair. He is a model professional who has always put his country first and yet some people love to have a dig at him. Unlike a certain Beckham. When he is fit he can be pretty damn good. However, getting him fit has not been easy over the last few seasons. If he does a season fully fit he will score at least 20 goals. We seen the kind of run he can go on at the end of last season and hopefully he can continue into the new season (Man United better watch out). Saying this he is past his best. It looks like he could have lost his place in the England team and he is only getting older. This means he has something to prove and i know he would love to come back with a bang next season. It could be a big season for Owen and Newcastle. There are talks set for next week over his new contract and i hope he signs.

I agree.....Owen IS a model professional. I hope he has a blinding season and gives the toon fans something to sing about

Mickey Owen's a bleedin' scoundrel.

Obviously the signing of Danny Guthrie is not a major coup by any means, but he looked like a decent and controlled in the midst of a very poor Bolton side last season, he's till quite young and I believe they've signed him on a relatively cheap deal. Under further guidance I think he could turn into a tidy little player.

From what i here, Guthrie has joined for £2.5m.

Yea i think that's true. Not a bad price really.

He'll be a good signing i reckon, quite solid defensive wise and decent going forward aswell.

He was dubbed "the next Gerrard".

Well he is f*cked now! Somehow this will end up to be a bad deal. This is Newcastle we are talking about.

I did think the same thing actually. Although i was sort of holding onto the hope of the fact that 95% of disaster-cases at Newcastle turn out to be defenders...

Well Beye was in that 5% last season and hopefully we can get two more like him in. Lets be honest, we are owed some luck when it comes to defenders.

I sort of have a good feeling about this transfer though. I know the chances are he will only be used as a squad player but he could turn into an important player for us. I like how he has already played in the league, i like how he is young and english and i also like how he rejected the chance to go to Bolton (a place he already knew) to come to Newcastle. Gary Speed thinks he is a great signing, he worked with him at Bolton.

The Daily Mail believe Newcastle will hold talks with Aimar in the next 24hours. They are wanting 7million for the midfielder. This story better be true!!!!!

would be a very good siging ive always rated aimar he has just went of the boil the last couple of years but a fresh challenge could do him good

Well said. Owen gets insane stick when he doesn't score but how many forwards can go on a 4 goals in 2-3 games and so on(except Ronaldo)...sure its difficult when he's not fit but this guy is absolutely magic and if he get's firing on all cylinders, its difficult to stop him. I think Cappello will regret not playing him in coming games...its my understanding from past readings that Cappello is not a big fan of Owen...but I guess we will wait and see.

The papers are saying that Owen has been asked to take a £30k a week salary cut to £80k a week. If he declines........apparently.......Man Utd are monitoring the situation and he could be up for sale at £5m.

Metz defender Sebastien Bassong has revealed he is to have a trial at Newcastle.

Bassong is looking to leave Metz and he is hoping to secure a move to England.

Everton have been credited with an interest in the 22-year-old, but Newcastle have stolen a march on their Premier League rivals by offering him a trial on Tyneside.

Bassong is determined to do everything he can to impress Magpies boss Kevin Keegan and win a move to St James' Park.

"It's a very good thing for me," Bassong told French TV.

"Newcastle are not nothing.

"I will give everything and we will see how my situation is later."

I'd hate to see him play for Man United(i'm obviously not a utd fan)...I wish somebody would slap benetiz upside the head to pick him up instead.

The problem with Owen is his pace is gone. What he does still have in him, i believe, is his outstanding finishing - problem being a lack of pace means the opportunity to use said finishing becomes more infrequent. If he can accept that Newcastle is as high as he'll go at this point in his career and find the want to play for them and try his hardest i think he'll have a fine season next year, barring too much of an injury lay-off.

United wouldn't sign him though. Rooney, Tevez, Saha and not forgetting Manucho are all on their books. Saha may go, but they're looking for a big signing like Berbatov or Huntelaar, which Owen isn't anymore. And they won't have 5 strikers, unless Owen is happy to just sit rotting away on the bench (or worse).

Nail on the head there. Owens not going to get any better now that he's had long term injuries which have had effects on his pace. Now he's not good enough to move to a bigger club imo. Staying around teams such as Newcastle suit him fine.

The Daily Mirror....