Man Utd Cheick-ing for Newcastle’s Tiote

Sir Alex Ferguson’s check list should read like this:

Forward line: all fit, check.

Defenders: Smalling injured, Jones injured, but Vidic back, check.

Midfielders: Cleverley injured, Get Cheick.

The 6-1 sized hole in United’s midfield has reportedly put the Red Devils on an early hunt for someone who can create and defend – not the current either or the team has with its Anderson (create) and Fletcher (defend) option.

If British newspaper reports are to be believed, Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote is now in the reckoning.

Given his fine form for Newcastle, helping them to third place in the league and with their form increasingly looking less like a passing phase, Tiote has been one of the keys.

People Sport reported that Alex Ferguson has been impressed by the 25-year-old tough-tackling Ivory Coast international, who was signed for just £3.5million from Dutch side FC Twente last year (https://bit.ly/rxURwo).

Of course Inter’s Wesley Sneijder is the ultimate answer… but right now Tiote is a fair Cheick.