New Year's Day move for Babayaro
Newcastle have today confirmed that Chelsea full-back Celestine Babayaro will become Graeme Souness’ first transfer window signing on New Year’s Day.
The 26-year-old Nigerian international, who would have been out of contract at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, has been on Tyneside this week to thrash out a deal which will see him move to St James’ Park for an undisclosed fee on Saturday.
Babayaro will be available for selection from January 4, meaning that his debut could come in the FA Cup third round clash with Ryman League Yeading five days later. He is also eligible for the club’s European campaign because he has not played for Chelsea in this season’s Champions League.
“Newcastle United confirmed today that, following negotiations with Celestine Babayaro, agreement has been reached that he will join Newcastle United on January 1, 2005,” said a club spokesman. “The player will be transferred from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee.
“Newcastle United record their thanks to everybody involved at Chelsea for their co-operation and goodwill.
“Under FAPL rules, the player will be eligible for selection from Tuesday, January 4. He also qualifies to appear in the FA Cup and UEFA Cup for Newcastle United this season, the latter being because although nominated as a substitute, he has not taken the field for Chelsea in European competition this season.”
Babayaro’s arrival leaves a question mark over the future of Frenchman Olivier Bernard, who is yet to agree a new deal with the Magpies and will be out of contract at the end of the current campaign.
Whether or not the newcomer’s presence represents an admission that the club has given up on Bernard remains to be seen, but there are sure to be further arrivals, and more defenders among them, next month.
Rangers boss Alex McLeish was among the crowd for last night’s 1-0 home defeat by Arsenal amid suggestions that he was surveying possibilities for a player-plus-cash deal in exchange for Jean-Alain Boumsong with Newcastle also having expressed an interest in Manchester City’s Sylvain Distin.
But whatever else happens over the coming weeks, Souness has at least started the ball rolling with a man who represented the last Ruud Gullit signing still on the books at Chelsea.
Babayaro won the FA Cup, League Cup, Charity Shield and European Super Cup during his seven-and-a-half years in London, but has increasingly found himself in the wilderness since Roman Abramovich’s millions allowed first Claudio Ranieri and then Jose Mourinho to invest heavily in new talent.
