Newcastle win race for PSG stopper Rozehnal

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Newcastle United are wrapping up a deal for PSG defender David Rozehnal.

The Sun says Toon boss Sam Allardyce has beaten off stiff competition from Borussia Dortmund to land £3.3m defender Rozehnal.

Dortmund have finally admitted defeat in the race for the 26-year-old Paris St Germain centre-back, who is set to sign a lucrative three-year deal at St James' Park.

Allardyce gave the green light to push through the £24,000-a-week deal after seeing Rozehnal in action for the Czech Republic against Wales on Saturday.

What you can be sure on is that he's better than Bramble.

[kennethlindheim]

Newcastle United look to be closing in on the capture of Paris Saint Germain defender David Rozehnal.

The Czech Republic stopper was a target of Borussia Dortmund, but as skysports.com first revealed last week - Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce stepped in with a bid for a player who he first admired during his time with Bolton.

Now Newcastle appear to be in the driving seat and the player's representatives feel a quick deal can be done, once the two clubs have agreed terms.

Pavel Zika revealed, one of Rozehnal's agents, that Newcastle had now made an approach to PSG.

"David's move is not clear yet, but the clubs have contacted each other," Zika told MF Dnes.

"If they reach an agreement, I am convinced that we will agree to for the player.

"In my opinion, everything is a matter of if just hours or days."

Newcastle are very hot in the transfer market at the moment, with deals for Joey Barton, Mark Viduka and Tal Ben Haim all looking likely to be completed this week.

Sky Sports - The Best Sport Coverage From Around The World

[kennethlindheim]

David Rozehnal's agent Pavel Zika claims Newcastle have a 50-50 chance of landing the Paris Saint Germain defender.

The Magpies had looked clear favourites to sign Rozehnal when Borussia Dortmund pulled out of the race earlier this week.

However, Sevilla are now in the running for the 26-year-old and it is understood the stopper may prefer a switch to Spain.

Zika says negotiations are going well with both clubs and expects Rozehnal to join one of the two in the near future.

"With both clubs we are in the final stages of negotiations," Zika told Sport. "David will move to either Sevilla or Newcastle, it is 50-50.

"The negotiations are 90 per cent complete, 10 per cent are still to be discussed.

"As for the progress of the negotiations between the clubs, Newcastle are slightly ahead as they entered the chase earlier."

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=473292&CPID=8&clid=4&lid=&title=Mag pies+'50-50'+for+Rozehnal

[kennethlindheim]

Sam Allardyce last night made a breakthrough in his bid to rebuild his depleted defence at Newcastle as David Rozehnal agreed to move to St James's Park.

The Czech international has rejected a late approach from Sevilla and, having held positive discussions with Allardyce yesterday, the Paris-Saint Germain stopper has decided to continue his career in the Premier League.

Although the transfer fee has not been revealed, United are expected to pay PSG around £3m to bring the 26-year-old to the North-East, having upped their initial bid.

Neither club has confirmed the deal. But following a day of discussions with officials from Newcastle and Sevilla, Rozehnal's agent last night insisted that the Magpies have clinched the deal.

"We have reached a final agreement," said Pavel Zika, who is expected to travel to Tyneside with the player this weekend to conclude the deal. "David moves to Newcastle."

United officials have made no comment on the matter, although The Journal understands Allardyce expects the transfer to be completed at the start of next week. Rozehnal, capped 35 times by the Czech Republic, has yet to undergo a medical but, having been given permission to discuss a transfer, it seems an agreement between Newcastle and PSG has been reached.

Allardyce's pursuit of the former Club Brugge defender has been a protracted affair. Having earmarked Rozehnal as Tal Ben Haim's replacement at Bolton, the 52-year-old attempted to lure the Czech to the Reebok Stadium during January's transfer window.

He might have failed on that occasion but it looks as though he has succeeded this time around, with Newcastle officials confident the deal will be completed without problems within days.

Having released Titus Bramble, Craig Moore, Olivier Bernard and Oguchi Onyewu, a manager who also plans to off-load Celestine Babayaro before next season starts was determined to start restocking his defence. With Steven Taylor having torn ankle ligaments during this week's European Under-21 Championship semi-final in Holland, last night's developments will have come as a relief.

Rozehnal will not be the last stopper to arrive this summer, with Allardyce keen to add five defenders to his squad before pre-season training starts next month. Marseille's Habib Beye remains a target, as does Liverpool's Sami Hyypia - despite Rafael Benitez's assertions that the Finn has a future at Anfield.

icNewcastle - Rozehnal agrees deal

Good news. I'm no expert on Rozehnal but I'm encouraged by what I've heard about him (voted PSG's best player last season and was in the team of the year in France).

Hopefully the low fee for Rozehnal combined with not many people knowing much about him should allow him a relatively pressure-free start here as opposed to other players that we've bought/will buy. If he's an improvement on Bramble, Moore and Onyewu then we're making forward strides. That's what next season is all about, really. Getting rid of the dross/the stale/the disliked and hopefully replacing them with players who can take us to where we should be.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

He's not a new Bramble I can tell you that.He's a decent defender with over 40 caps for Czech.

[kennethlindheim]

SAM ALLARDYCE clinched his first defensive signing for Newcastle United when David Rozehnal arrived at St James’ Park from Paris St Germain.

And the United boss is expected to go back to France for another defender in Marseille’s versatile Habib Beye, who is at home both at right-back and centre-half.

Rozehnal was at St James’ Park yesterday afternoon to talk terms and have a medical after his £2.7m transfer from PSG, which will see the 26-year-old Czech international sign a four-year deal.

And he certainly had a rocking welcome to Tyneside, as along with the likes of Allardyce, Sir Bobby Robson, Freddy Shepherd, Lee Clark and Terry McDermott, Rozehnal enjoyed the Rod Stewart concert at St James’ Park.

He stopped rocking briefly to say: “Coming to a great club like Newcastle United is reward for all the hard work I have done throughout my career.”

United have seen off Borussia Dortmund for Rozehnal’s signature, and even when UEFA Cup holders Sevilla showed late interest, the player had already set his heart on Newcastle, with his acquisition compensating for missing out on Tal Ben Haim to Chelsea.

He is United’s sixth signing from PSG, following in the footsteps of Sylvain Distin, Alain Goma, Laurent Robert, Didier Domi and David Ginola.

And I expect United to go back to France for the current Marseille skipper, the 29-year-old Senegalese Beye, once the defender returns from holiday.

Beye played in both the UEFA Cup games against United in 2004 when Marseille went through thanks to Didier Drogba.

And the season before last he did likewise against Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers in the UEFA Cup.

Beye has plenty of experience, but this will not stop Big Sam from stepping up his efforts to bring Sami Hyppia to St James’ Park once Liverpool sign a replacement for the Finnish international.

Meanwhile, things are starting to hot up at St James’ Park both on and off the field.

Another new arrival is expected to be Mark Taylor – a key member of Allardyce’s backroom staff at Bolton Wanderers – with the rather grand title of Head of Sport Science.

When Freddy Shepherd bumped into Allardyce at the HMV awards near the end of last season in London, the United chairman’s main topic was to find out why Bolton had had so few injuries.

Hartlepool-born 42-year-old Taylor is the main reason and he will be a welcome arrival at St James’ Park.

icNewcastle - Big Sam gets his man

[Pennywise]

I don't know so much about this defender, but I reckon he is better than Bramble.

[kennethlindheim]

It takes time before the transfer is concluded. I read somewhere that the hold up is because the PSG officials are not finished with the paperwork.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

David Czechs in at Toon

Newcastle United have completed their third signing of the close-season with the capture of Paris Saint Germain defender David Rozehnal.

A deal for the Czech Republic international has long been in the pipeline and now, all the loose ends have been tied up for the 26-year-old to move to St James' Park.

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has been quick to stamp his mark on the club since being appointed in the close-season, with Rozehnal having joined Joey Barton and Mark Viduka in moving to the North East.

Rozehnal will cost the club an initial £2.9million, with a further £200,000 to be paid depending on appearances.

Having culled his defensive ranks considerably upon his arrival at Newcastle, it is expected Allardyce will not stop his recruitment with the signing of Rozehnal.

It has been reported that the former Bolton chief is heading a Newcastle delegate in Barcelona, with the aim of securing a deal for Edmilson at the top of his agenda.

Source: Skysports

[Pennywise]

Finally. Good news. I cannot say so much about him, but I'm just glad we have got a new defender.

He is a international for Chech and played regular for Paris SG, so I reckon he's not that bad.

[kennethlindheim]

We have spent a lot of time on trying to sign him, so he better be good.