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| Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:58 pm Ashton rumour |
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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 years left to run on the contract he signed two summers ago for the east Londoners.
Ashton has just returned from the Caribbean with England following a disappointing 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 the ex-Arsenal ace netted just twice for Alan Curbishley’s side last season.
However, Ashton is yet to commit to a new deal, leaving Curbishley and his board to come up with the goods or face the prospect of losing their prized asset.
Ashton has been compared to Alan Shearer since breaking on to the scene with Crewe, another product of former Alex manager Dario Gradi’s impressive 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’t enough to prevent the Canaries going down.
And after City failed to regain their place in the top flight the following season, despite his 17 strikes in the Championship, Ashton’s days 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 Dean before he went on international duty with England, but nothing is decided.
“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 a quiet summer so far. However, if he does quit the Hammers, he could cost up to £11m.
For Norwich have a 15% sell-on clause for Ashton, and this would be reflected in any transfer fee as far as West Ham are concerned, especially as the Hammers don’t have to sell their star striker as he is under contract for another two years.
Ominously for Newcastle, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson also has Ashton on his wish-list should other targets fall through.
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