Peter Løvenkrands joins Newcastle

By: j | January 23rd, 2009

Although it should be no surprise, Peter Løvenkrands has agreed to a short-term deal that will see him through the balance of the year. The Danish striker makes his way to the Magpies after falling out of favour with Bundesliga side Schalke 04 and suits the cash-strapped budget perfectly.

Following the signed, the former Rangers striker said:

“I’m delighted to sign a deal until the end of the season.

“I now just can’t wait for my debut at Man City next week.

“The past couple of weeks has been a tremendous experience and the boys have been so easy to connect with.

“I’ve settled straight in and the banter with the boys has been great, and of course it helps that I speak English, albeit with a Glaswegian accent!

“Alan Smith is a big Rangers fan so we’ve already had a bit of a laugh about that and a few of the staff have worked at Rangers as well.

“But the likes of Tayls and Duffer have been great and I’ve enjoyed it.

“I’ve got a great opportunity to impress and hopefully win a contract beyond then,” added the Horsholm-born forward.

“I know all about Newcastle United. This club is so big and amazing and for me and my family this is definitely the right move.

“It’s going to be tough this season because it’s so tight at the bottom but we’ve got a lot of quality and hopefully I can add to that.

Given that Joe Kinnear is likely to press the new man into lineup against Manchester City next week, he added:

“I don’t think I’ll be the only new signing in the game at Man City because they’ve added a few, but I can’t wait for my debut.

“It’s a tough game but we know that every point counts between now and May and we’re definitely looking to get a result.

Joe Kinnear lauded high praise on his new addition:

“We’re delighted to get a player with such experience on board.

“Peter has spent nearly two weeks with us now and has really impressed.

“He’s settled straight in with the rest of the lads and has enjoyed being with us.

“He’s definitely a threat going forward and we’re hoping that he can help us to get some of the points which will see us move up the table.”

While I am hopeful he can be a very notable addition I am less impressed because it was basically orchestrated because it suits the clubs very troubled balance sheet. He is a fine striker who hopefully can add something to the lineup but truthfully would not have been added if it wasn’t effectively a “free” acquisition. With complete respect to Mr. Løvenkrands, failing a re-birth of his career over the balance of the year, I do not expect him to be part of next years squad and consider the move more of a loan. This of-course is a very troubling time for Newcastle and I want to be perfectly clear with my wording on this because while I believe he could prove to be an asset the club they have few signing options given their financial condition.