Newcastle United Transfer Watch: News and Rumors Edition 2: The Hunt Continues

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"Never celebrate sneaking your vuvuzela into the stadium until you're out of earshot from the security guards" - New Zealand footballing proverb.

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Alan Pardew has said that, for the most part, he's happy with how progress has gone in the transfer window for Newcastle United.

However, many fans will be voicing the concerns of the above proverb, particularly Jose Enrique's future looking decreasingly certain and a strike force that still lacks in power and depth.

Rumored In

Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea)

News regarding Sturridge has been fairly quiet recently. However, Chelsea's new manager Andre Villa-Boas has gone on record saying that he'd like the English striker to gain experience at a club where he can receive more starting time than he's likely to get for the time being at Chelsea.

Mevlut Erdinc (Paris Saint-Germain)

Despite Erdinc saying himself that he has no intentions of leaving French club PSG—who have a strong-looking squad for next season—the Tyneside club still has every intent on pursuing him in the hopes he might change his mind.

With the wide array of high-quality strikers out there, surely it's time to give up the chase here.

Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)

After a disappointing season with the London club, Defoe has been linked with Newcastle United. With Harry Redknapp looking to aim higher than a Europa Cup position for the 2012-13 season, a deal closer to £15 million or £20 million could be more likely to be struck than the £10 million offered for him.

Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur)

The rumor of Crouch arriving at Tyneside are in a similar realm to those about Defoe. If a high enough offer is placed, I can see it being accepted to help with Spurs' ambitions. It's also nice to be linked with a striker who has the size to partially replace the Andy Carroll loss.

Neil Taylor (Swansea)

As a potential replacement for Jose Enrique, the rumors of his arrival tend to look stronger as those of the Spaniard's departure begin to grow in number. Reports state, however, that Taylor is close to signing a new deal with the newly-promoted Swans.

Shane Long (Reading)

While this would be an excellent purchase for Pardew, who needs a more consistent goal scorer, West Ham are looking increasingly like favorites to sign the Reading striker.

West Bromwich Albion have also looked interested, placing a club record bid for him. You could almost bet your house on Long only setting foot on St. James' Park as a visitor in the next year or so.

Rumored Out

Jose Enrique (Liverpool)

News about Enrique has been varied since around January of last season. He's been quoted as saying things ranging from his desire to stay at Newcastle despite frustrations with the way the club is run, wanting to leave for a club where his own career can be bettered, to deciding to hang around until his contract runs out.

If he leaves for Liverpool, Newcastle will have lost a great asset in both attack and defense, while Liverpool fans don't seem to want him because of his selfish ambitions (which you can't really blame him for).

My prediction is that he'll hang around for one last season, try to excel and let the clubs that want him after that start a bidding war. How successful he'll be in that regard is hard to say.

Nile Ranger (Birmingham City)

Alan Pardew, having reportedly grown tired of Ranger's off-field behavior and training ethic, could be looking at offloading the young striker. Birmingham have rejected a loan offer for Ranger, potentially forcing Pardew to look elsewhere or give him one more year to sort himself out.

Joey Barton (Manchester United)

The wonderful news is that Barton himself has said that he has every intention of staying with the club, despite its poor administration. With Kevin Nolan having left, Pardew will be doing what he can to keep the club's main playmaker around.

Sir Alex Ferguson has also said that he has closed the market for Manchester United players, further discrediting this rumor.