Tis' the season for the rumour mill to run amok and it has churned out a humdinger by suggesting Alan Pardew is plotting a double swoop on former employers West Ham for midfield duo Mohamed Diame and Mark Noble. Lest we forget Noble and Diame are names that have appeared prominently on the Newcastle gossip grapevine on numerous occasions in the past and, as was the case then, these fresh links will more than likely prove to be hot air. Nevertheless, the Daily Star have put Noble forward as a possible addition to our midfield ranks this summer with Pardew a long-term admirer having handed the 27-year-old his Hammers debut in August 2004. Our interest in Diame, meanwhile, is being touted in the Mirror with Liverpool also said to be keeping tabs on the Senegal international's situation after announcing his intentions to leave Upton Park for a top-six club last month after growing tired at being played out of position by manager Sam Allardyce. That rules Newcastle out then. From the outset it's fairly clear that neither player will be wearing black and white shirts come the end of the transfer window with Noble, in particular, being peddled as another replacement for Yohan Cabaye while Diame is no different to what we currently have.
