Erik Pieters Holds Talks With Newcastle & Joey Barton To Decide QPR Move Today

Friday may prove to be a significant day for transfer dealings in the North East with one in / one out likely.

By Matt Holmes /

Today may prove to be a significant one for transfer dealings in the North East as British newspapers report that PSV Eindhoven left back Erik Pieters is in England to discuss a move to Newcastle United, whilst free transfer listed Joey Barton has remarked on Twitter that he will decide today on his future. On the Barton situation first, the 28 year midfielder updated his twitter followers just minutes ago with;
"Going to have to make a decision today, its only fair to all parties."
Barton was in London on Wednesday to discuss a free transfer move to Queens Park Rangers and to undergo a medical but has stated he doesn't want to leave Newcastle United (or his big pay deal of course) but I imagine it's more down to the length of contract and the money being offered, plus the thought in his head he can attract the interest of a bigger club next summer. Newcastle United supporters were heard on a few separate occasions to be chanting "there's only one Joey Barton" last night in their Carling Cup victory against Scunthorpe and every fan poll on the internet suggest the Geordies want him to stay. Meanwhile brighter news for the Toon Army is Pieters move which might be completed within the next few days. There had been some concern that Mike Ashley and Alan Pardew were struggling to come to a deal with PSV for the player (some sources quote the fee at around £7 million, which is all of the Jose Enrique fee & more) but those problems seem to have been ironed out and it's now just a case of agreeing personal terms with the player. Pieters played in PSV's Thursday night's 5-0 defeat of SV Ried in the Europa League and then told the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper he may have played his last game for the club;
"Whether I play for PSV at Excelsior on Sunday or am already at Newcastle I do not know. "If a club from the Premier League says they want you, and that is the case, then you know the financial means they have. "I have not seen much of Newcastle myself but my friend (and fellow Dutchman) Tim Krul keeps me informed."
Newcastle will be hoping to field Pieters in their side for Sunday's early afternoon Premiership game against Fulham at St. James' Park and if he does feature, manager Alan Pardew will have to consider re-shuffling his team to fit in Ryan Taylor whose two free kick goals in the past two games have proven vital.