Newcastle after Moroccan star

Jun 22 2008 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

NEWCASTLE are set to make a surprise move for Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh.

And while they play a waiting game in their bid for Galatasaray winger Arda Turan, United are also keen on his team-mate Servet Cetin, according to Turkish sources.

French-born Chamakh has spent his whole career at Bordeaux, but is ready for a new challenge and is understood to have held talks with Newcastle.

Although still just 24, the rangy target man boasts plenty of experience, having made almost 200 appearances in Ligue 1 and played 30 times for Morocco.

While he is not prolific, Chamakh’s ability in the air makes him potentially an ideal foil for the likes of Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins.

The Magpies’ striker search may also spread to Italy, where Cagliari’s Robert Acquafresca and Inter star David Suazo are of interest.

Whether United are genuinely keen on Turkey’s defensive hard-man Servet is far from certain, but talk in Istanbul is of them planning a £4.7 million bid.

Meanwhile, Zenit St Petersburg coach Dick Advocaat has revealed that his playmaker Andrei Arshavin — tracked by Newcastle and several other Premier League clubs — has told him he wants to leave Russia.

And the agent of Orlando Engelaar has claimed Newcastle and Everton have joined German side Schalke on the Holland midfielder’s trail.