Newcastle eye West Ham ace Dean Ashton
Jun 3 2008 by Lee Ryder, Evening Chronicle
Dean Ashton
NEWCASTLE United are sounding out West Ham over a potential bid for Dean Ashton.
The 24-year-old is unsettled at Upton Park despite having two yearsleft to run on the contract he signed two summers ago for the eastLondoners.
Ashton has just returned from the Caribbean with England following adisappointing personal performance during the 3-0 win over Trinidad& Tobago.
But the Hammers are still keen to get Ashton, who finished as their top scorer with 11 goals last term, to sign a new deal.
Ashton is said to be disgruntled that Freddy Ljungberg, among others,is earning a substantial amount more than he is, even though theex-Arsenal ace netted just twice for Alan Curbishley’s side last season.
However, Ashton is yet to commit to a new deal, leaving Curbishley andhis board to come up with the goods or face the prospect of losingtheir prized asset.
Ashton has been compared to Alan Shearer since breaking on to the scenewith Crewe, another product of former Alex manager Dario Gradi’simpressive conveyer belt of talent which also includes David Platt,Neil Lennon and Danny Murphy.
He burst on to the scene with Norwich in 2005 in the Premier League,but his run of seven goals in the last third of the season wasn’tenough to prevent the Canaries going down.
And after City failed to regain their place in the top flight thefollowing season, despite his 17 strikes in the Championship, Ashton’sdays in East Anglia were numbered.
In January 2006, West Ham made their move to sign the player for £7.25m.
Now, though, with Ashton in contract limbo, his future is unclear.
A source close to the East End club told the Chronicle: “We know that Newcastle are interested in signing Dean.
“And Alan Curbishley is aware of this.
“There have already been a couple of rounds of contract talks with Deanbefore he went on international duty with England, but nothing isdecided.
“We think that deep down Dean might want to stay but, like any player,he wants to have a contract that reflects his performances.”
A move for Ashton would certainly give Toon fans a major lift after aquiet summer so far. However, if he does quit the Hammers, he couldcost up to £11m.
For Norwich have a 15% sell-on clause for Ashton, and this would bereflected in any transfer fee as far as West Ham are concerned,especially as the Hammers don’t have to sell their star striker as heis under contract for another two years.
Ominously for Newcastle, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson alsohas Ashton on his wish-list should other targets fall through.
Fergie has been eyeing Lyon ace Karim Benzema and today was reportedlykeen on signing Blackburn’s £15m-rated star Roque Santa Cruz.
Meanwhile, another name linked with United today was Argentine starPablo Aimar after the player was put up for sale by Real Zaragoza at£6.5m.
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