First signing of the season… But is Perch just another Ryan Taylor?

So finally, three months to the day Newcastle United learned that they would be a Premier League team once more, a breakthrough in the transfer market has finally occured with the acquisition of James Perch.

‘Who?’ some of you may ask. Well, he’s 24, which clearly fits into the new transfer policy proposed by the current regime of signing players under the age of 26. His biggest asset to Hughton appears to be his versatility, as he can operate as a full back (meaning he can provide cover for Simpson while he recovers from injury), or across the midfield. Apparently he sees himself as a future centre half, but at 5, 11″, he may struggle physically at the top level.

A versatile player found in the bargain basement is risky business, however. While it may serve practicality, with limited funds and a thin squad, does he possess Premier League pedigree? Do we have another Ryan Taylor on our hands? No disrespect to Taylor, but he couldn’t even force his way into a Championship side last season so, alongside Leon Best, how can he expect to compete against the Arsenals and Chelseas of this league?

Let’s face it, Taylor was bought in an injury-plagued season (for once) because he can operate in a number of positions, and also maybe to stop him from scoring against us! Let’s hope Perch does not fall into this category, but into another fronted by the hugely likeable Aaron Hughes. Hughes was not only a top pro who never let us down, but he could play across the back four or even as a midfield anchor, where he was deployed many a time under Sir Bobby. Sold for a paltry £1 million, that has to go down as one of the worst sales in NUFC history.

Back to Perch though, Hughton has been on his trail since January, when Nottingham Forest rejected what they called a ‘derisory’ offer of £1 million. Which begs the question, how much has he cost this time? Perhaps his value has not moved, however, due to the fact that he only had one year left on his contract, while common knowledge tells us that you don’t sell your best players in January when you are chasing promotion. An awareness even a certain Mr. Ashley appeared to grasp.

 Even more encouraging is that this is no doubt an actual cash signing. We’ve all been banging our heads against brick walls in utter frustration every time we read a reference to the infamous ‘no capital outlay’ quote from that astonishing club statement. Because, no matter how many patronising folk in the media tell supporters that they don’t actually know what is best for the club, anyone who even vaguely follows English football knows of the huge gap between the Premier League and Championship. And that the only way to bridge that gap upon promotion is to part with a little bit of money.

We’re not talking about City-like blank cheques for marquee signings, just adding a little bit of extra quality to the squad to ensure safety in the forthcoming season, which unfortunately doesn’t come for free. So perhaps James Perch represents a statement of intent to build a real squad with some hard cash. Or maybe it means that we can expect to see a key player departing in the near future? You know, just to even things out.

If we were to look on the bright side of this transfer, though, we can maybe expect to see a few more new faces in the coming weeks. Hughton has recently spoken about adding up to five players, and maybe he’s had a little chat with Ashley and Llambias to lay down the gauntlett on what is needed to prevent NUFC becoming another yo-yo club. Maybe they have even listened. Maybe we can hold optimism for the new season. 

Don’t get too excited just yet.