Newcastle United are not exactly known for doing a lot of positive business on transfer deadline day: the last major incoming deal cut in the final hours of any window brought Michael Owen to St James Park, and the less said about that the better. But with a strong summer of building behind them, and the decision to let Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa leave on loan, today surely have been identified as an opportunity to strengthen in two key areas. What has been clear for the entire summer is that Newcastle need a centre-half and a striker, and have done for some time. So the decision to seemingly let Roma take Yanga-Mbiwa without bringing in cover looks like a ludicrous one. Just think, if Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson get injured, Newcastle face the awful reality of playing only Steven Taylor as a recognised centre-half. That will be fun. But instead of bringing in cover for Yanga-Mbiwa, or signing a striker to help with the goals scored column, Newcastle are instead spending the last couple of hours of the transfer window trying to get rid of Hatem Ben Arfa. So far, he's turned down Besiktas and Birmingham City, and there are suspicions he just wants to stay, but clearly the club want him out. The latest link - via the Chronicle - is that Hull City are trying to sign the Frenchman on loan for the rest of the season. If that is the case, Alan Pardew and Mike Ashley can expect some particularly fierce protests again, especially considering the stuttering start to the season, and the perceived lack of an attacking edge.
