CHN Links: Friday Edition

Good morning, Toon Army. Conflicting reports about a possible transfer, an amusing anecdote about Stevenage, and more after the jump. (I can't wait until we're on a platform that doesn't limit the number of tags I can put on a post...)

#LeonBestIsMint scores the second of his three goals for Newcastle against West Ham at St James' Park.
Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

News & HSOs

Ben Tozer's loan with Northampton Town has been extended to the end of the season. (BBC Sport)

Lee Ryder is a fan of the Hatem Ben Arfa signing.

Alan Pardew is backing Joey Barton for selection to the Three Lions. (Lee Ryder, The Chronicle)

Andy Carroll is being ordered to relax in hopes that he will be ready for the Derby match on the 16th. (Simon Bird, MirrorFootball)

Chris Hughton has interviewed for the vacant Crystal Palace job. (John Percy, MirrorFootball)

Saturday's FA Cup Third Round match with Stevenage has many talking about the controversial result from 1998, which is a pretty cool story that I didn't know about. Stevenage boss Graham Westley (reminds one of The Princess Bride, doesn't it?) says the club is under some pressure to "sort out" that "injustice." (BBC Sport) Alan Pardew has previously said that he will not treat the match lightly, but there are injury concerns going in that may cause him trouble. (both links from Lee Ryder, The Chronicle)

Transfer Rumors
I went digging for some of these. Keep in mind that often the further you have to dig to find info during a transfer window, the less reliable the information is. Still, it's fun to speculate, no?

We've linked to rumors about Pardew's pursuit of Birmingham City winger Seb Larsson before, but Alan Nixon of MirrorFootball is reporting that Birmingham have accepted a £1.5 million bid from Newcastle. This is the only source I've seen even hinting about an agreement, so for now treat the report with a grain of salt.

27 year-old striker Mido is available on a free transfer and has been linked to Newcastle. He's one of those players that has attitude problems but keeps getting chances because of his ability. I'm usually more willing than most people I know to take chances on those kind of guys, so I say jump in it. (Arthur Williams, Sportingo)

30 year-old left back Wayne Bridge of Manchester City is being courted by several Premiership clubs, including Newcastle on a loan. Bridge would bring depth to the position, which is surely lacking, but I don't think he would represent an upgrade over the younger Jose Enrique. (Goal.com)

26 year-old right winger Stephane Sessegnon is reportedly being courted by Aston Villa and Newcastle United. He is on record as saying that it is "impossible" for him to work with his manager at Paris Saint Germain, which would seem to leave them with little negotiating leverage. Sessegnon interests me because while he doesn't have the crossing ability of David Bentley, he is very fast and could create problems with his pace. He would also be cheaper in terms of wages and is under contract a year longer than Bentley. (Daily Mail)

The Reds are reportedly interested in Wayne Routledge. I don't see why Liverpool would be interested, but they can have him if they want to fork over the reported £8 million asking price. (Give Me Football)

Spanish teams Real Zaragoza and Racing Santander have registered interest in Xisco. (Jeremy Butler, MirrorFootball)

Harry Redknapp confirms that Alan Pardew rejected any attempts to obtain Andy Carroll. (Sky Sports)