TRon

Yes because we get linked with every player under the sun, we are bound to get one of them, and there'll be 10 others that we don't. This Onana link sounds like one of those 10.

Honestly that link doesn't even sound plausible, it feels like the club are using the local journalists to leak false info so they can go after their real targets under the radar.

That will hinge entirely on if we can get a midfielder in this window.

Dear me, he's on a roll

I don't know anything about Ederson but agree with the shortage of assists. Other than that though he's so powerful and has surprisingly good touch and awareness for such a big man. He'd be a massive miss. I think he'll sign a new contract anyway on decent money but maybe not what his agent is pushing for.

Depends more on whether we really want him, and whether he would prefer to stay in the north and play for a big club.

That has to be a consideration, plus this season looks like fizzling out anyway. But I just don't see foreign teams paying a decent wedge for him. Or any team for that matter because of his age. Weird stories coming out this past week.

RTG comes to Newcastle.

If we are going to sell Lascelles to rake back some transfer cash fair enough, but he's 29 so still has plenty to offer as he's shown again this season. I'm surprised there hasn't been more interest given his age. I think we have worse players in the squad but they just won't fetch any fees and they are taking up squad space on account of being cheap to keep hanging around even if they are mostly useless on the actual playing field these days.

Not sure how much more he'll get elsewhere tbh, but I'm sure we'll offer him over 100k a week. While I would never want to lose him, he doesn't get enough goals and assists to command much more.

I hope they do. The PL has been in hock to certain favoured clubs who they consider a precious brand, so there's no way they would be impartial anyway.

I think there's still a place for him in football, just not at the top level. He's like Rafa, the way he sets up will always give you a chance of winning a cup competition, but in the big leagues you need more expansive football. Ironically Roma was a great move for him and them when he went there.

Poor dad as well. I couldn't stand the bloke but no father should have to see their kid go through that.

I thought he was a decent professional, no real weaknesses as a defender. If anything he had the tools to do a lot more going forward, but don't think he felt comfortable doing it. Hence we got him relatively cheaply, if he was better he'd never have been sanctioned by Ashley. All that considered he wasn't a terrible signing.

For a player who didn't cut it at Sunderland he carved himself a decent career here. Never great, never terrible. Decent value I reckon.

I think we would just take any cash we can get for a player who isn't first choice. Might be we don't have much expectation for the rest of the season due to crippling injuries across the board so if we can get a fee we take it rather than lose him for nothing at the end of the season.

I agree that Howe would be against selling Longstaff, can't see it happening either because the lad would be reluctant to leave. But if we are talking about selling Bruno to free up funds then you would think if we got a half decent fee for Longstaff it would be taken out of Howe's hands.

It frightens me to even contemplate it. People can prod for weaknesses in his game all they want, that cold ice finish, that ability to weave past four players in the space of about 6 inches like he did against Everton is why I watch the game.

I'm sure they already realise it, but you have to factor in that the PL at this point is basically being sponsored by the cartel clubs, and you have to wonder how objective they can be?

I dunno like, if you read the match threads sometimes feels like people are watching a different game.

I read that this morning, some of those valuations are almost dafter than the ones posted by someone in here a couple of days ago. Absolutely worthless.

They're the reserves, they wouldn't be expected to replace the first teamers. Their job would be to come on as subs, probably in the latter stages just to bring the guys who have been run into the ground off. I would have thought most aspiring squad players would be relishing the opportunity to get a run out and show what they can do. Just give them a limited role with nothing too complicated to do and even inexperienced players should be ok with that.

The DM position isn't restricted to only players who can tackle and run around a bit, the best teams have good players who are not only great defensively, but also very good with the ball at their feet as well. I'm sort of assuming any player we are looking at is going to be a good footballer by default since Howe needs those to play a possession game. When someone describes one of our targets as a workhorse, I just assume that means he works hard, has a good engine etc, not that he's a shit footballer. I think we are well beyond buying those.

Depends what you mean by more than decent. N'Golo Kante for example, would you have said no to him?