Newcastle staging last ditch effort for Championship stalwart
Despite claims from Alan Pardew that the club have already made their final bid for Adrian Mariappa, Newcastle United may still consider making a last minute swoop for the Watford defender.
The 25 year-old is currently in talks with Wigan Athletic after Watford accepted a £2.5m bid from the Latics and this could be the reason why the Magpies have been sparked into action as they seek to land their man.
The defender has been on Pardew’s radar for the last few weeks and would be signed as a replacement for Steven Taylor, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with an Achilles injury.
The Newcastle boss stated in an interview earlier today: “We have made our last bid now and it’s a final bid so if he doesn’t come today then he probably won’t come to this football club because in the summer we will probably look elsewhere.”
Newcastle have been forced to play James Perch or Mike Williamson at centre-back in the absence of captain Taylor, but neither have developed a fluid relationship with Fabricio Collocini.
Should Newcastle submit one last bid for Mariappa, the player may opt for a move to the North East with Newcastle currently enjoying a much healthier league position than league rivals, Wigan Athletic.
