Decision time for Erdinç.

Newcastle have given Turkish international Mevlut Erdinç a deadline to make a decision about a potential move to St James' Park.

A move for the PSG striker has been mooted for some time now but with little movement in sight and little inclination from the player about really fancying a move to Newcastle it seems pointless, to me anyway, chasing a player who clearly has reservations about signing on at NUFC.

Now please don't confuse this with me wanting players who "kiss the badge" at every club they are at. I realise that we aren't going to be the first choice for many players, which is kind of compliment about the players we're targeting I guess. However I'm not overly enamoured that a player is contemplating sitting on the bench at his current club rather than getting first team games somewhere else. It kind of sends out the wrong signals and reminds me a bit of Alan Smith, who has now replaced Ryan Taylor as my own personal hate figure by he way...

A new striker is a must in my opinion, and it seems in the opinion of most of you in fact as illustrated by a poll I ran the other day where 85% of you said that our attack should be the priority area where we strengthen next. Whether that striker be Erdinç or someone else remains to be seen, but Alan Pardew is confident that he will get a striker in for the start of the season and claims that he feels the "motivation" is there from Mike Ashley to add to the squad.

“The performance against Columbus was there for all to see – Demba Ba did well," Pardew told The Chronicle.

“If we get a couple of new players this team won’t be far away. As I have explained it will take time. But in August things will start coming thick and fast – everybody has been away on tour."

“I think we could have something resolved in time for the Arsenal game. I hope we will. I certainly feel that the motivation from Mike Ashley, Derek and myself is to get the deal done before that game but you can never say never with transfers.”

I'd like to hope that we do indeed get a striker in. In fact I think many of us share that same hope! The problem is that the longer it drags on the more concerned people will get. The intent may be there from Ashley, but we just simply don't know as going by previous transfer windows the form book doesn't look good.

Hopefully Ashley will back his man and get the striker in that Alan Pardew so desperately needs. I'm always hopeful (God knows why?!) although I do understand why there is some concern amongst the ranks. The only way that concern will subside is by seeing signs of what is being said put into action.

As ever, time will tell.