Newcastle Transfers: 10 Players Alan Pardew Must Sign Before Man City

1. Remy Cabella

Current Club: Montpellier Position: Attacking Midfielder At the beginning of May it was claimed Newcastle were close wrapping up the signing of Cabella only for it to emerge as another cruel twist in the tail of our latest summer transfer saga. Right now there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel in our never-ending conflict with eccentric Montpellier chairman Louis Nicollin, who continues to play hard-ball with the Magpies after rejecting a derisory ‚8 million (£6.5m) bid for Cabella and remaining steadfast in his opinion that his 24-year-old talisman would be €œbored€ if he moved to Tyneside.

"Yes, the "great" English club Newcastle has made us an offer of 8million from three weeks ago, which I refused," Nicollin told Le Sport 10 earlier this month.

"I do not think Newcastle is right for him, and I also think they are taking us for idiots. They sold Yohan Cababye to PSG, for I do not know millions, and they should not take us for fools."

Cabella - valued at an affordable ‚16m (£12m) - has been earmarked to fill the playmaker vacuum created by Cabaye in January and was a shining light in a sub-standard Montpellier side last season scoring 14 goals and recording five assists in 37 Ligue appearances.

Statistics tell only half the story, however, and Cabella's creative talents would be a huge boost to a team bereft of an innovative technician to roam in behind the central striker. Plus, the France international would pose a significantly greater threat from dead-ball situations which bordered on the farcical last season when Paul Dummett, by the virtue of kicking with his left foot, was placed on set-pieces.