Former Newcastle United captain Geremi has urged Declan Rice and Moussa Diaby to call him if they have any hesitation about joining the Magpies this summer. The pair are just a number of big name talents linked with a move to Tyneside this summer, with the duo the standout performer at their respective clubs.
Diaby has helped guide Bayer Leverkusen to the semi-final of the Europa League, while Rice is the standout English midfielder in the Premier League. The Hammers' talisman scored a remarkable solo goal in their win over KAA Gent in the Europa Conference League and helped David Moyes' side fight back to earn a point against Arsenal last weekend.
"Newcastle is a great team that is going in the right direction," Geremi told Lord Ping. "The fans are absolutely wonderful – they should not hesitate to join the club. If any Newcastle targets need any advice, they shouldn’t hesitate to call me!"
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The Magpies head coach has done a remarkable job in transforming the Toon into Champions League contenders from relegation certainties in just 18 months. A return to European football would do wonders in the bid top become regular title challengers, paving the way for some big name signings this summer.
Among the names linked to St. James' Park is Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney. When asked about targeting the left-back this summer, Geremi said: "Listen, when it comes to player recruitment, the most important person is the manager – he must decide what type of player and personality he thinks is needed to improve the squad.
"He also must look at the performances of his own team. Dan Burn has been fantastic for Eddie Howe in the left back role this season, so if he is happy with his performances, then it becomes very tricky to bring someone in to compete with him.
"It is absolutely crucial for Newcastle to make sure that when they are signing players, they are signing the right guys – not just in terms of their ability but also their attitude.
"For Newcastle to reach the Champions League with this squad, their players have had to perform brilliantly. Newcastle will want to bring in players to have a competitive squad, but they must be very selective about the targets because Eddie Howe will not want to disrupt the harmony of his team."
Newcastle's owners have been methodical in their approach with Alexander Isak the only real big fee paid for a player - given the modern climate. Sure, the likes of Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman have all arrived for fees upward of £30million, but given the spending of their Premier League rivals, those fees are just a drop in the water.
"Big managers are always tested on managing a squad and making sure that every player has a role and is happy – it isn’t about going out and signing player after player like Chelsea have done," said Geremi. "I don’t think that Chelsea have respected some of the fundamental rules of football.
"Football isn’t about having the money to go out any buy fifty new players! No, no – that is not football. I am sorry. Chelsea have made a mistake by signing so many players simply because they have the resources to do it.
"Football doesn’t work like that – there is no chemistry between the Chelsea players at the moment. Chemistry is so important in any successful team if you want to reach your objectives.
"You need a united group that have played together and understand each other. You also need to have a clear squad hierarchy – players that are first choice and players that are second choice.
"Eddie must think about that. He must think about how he will add and who he will add, but he must also make sure that the current squad is happy. My advice would be to look at adding some more talented younger players and some experienced players too."
You can read the full interview here.
