TRon

My gut feel is that we might be using Ekitike as a smokescreen for a different striker. Or it might be that we were using DCL as the smokescreen for Hugo. Hopefully it's this one.

Would be great but I'd reluctantly accept announcing a new Isak contract a week later even if we couldn't do it on the same day.

Worth spunking 80m euros for that reason alone.

Not a great look for TT getting brought down by a mackem either mind.

I've always wanted him even 3 years ago, same as with Pedro. But I refuse to get too excited while Liverpool are reportedly sniffing around. I do see that it's possible Howe would like to bring him here though if our budget will stretch to it. He was really keen the first time round and was very disappointed it didn't happen.

It was after catching him making the same points on a guest spot on Loaded Mags that I queried this idea being put about questioning the owners commitment. I don't share it, but I've read enough posts on here to see that many people do.

If Isak doesn't sign a new contract with us, every chance Ekitike would become our no 1 striker in 12 months anyway if he hits it off. The only reason we would go for Ekitike IMO is to give us insurance if Isak wants more wages than we can currently afford.

Are Liverpool going to pin their hopes on Ekitike or would they rather go for Isak even in a year's time?

Why would who accept it? I said there was more than enough games for two players so are you talking about Isak or Ekitike?

Gallagher for the same reason, but I think it only happens if we don't get our primary targets which are other positions.

That's not my personal view but there's been plenty of noise that PIF are spending their money on ventures like the FCWC which is benefiting other clubs rather than NUFC or various other sporting events like golf and boxing.

No fucker will actually pay that much for either though.

Even if you consider that PIF enthusiasm for the project has cooled off a bit - and with the amount of roadblocks put in front of them by the cartel funded PL authorities I can understand tbh - I still don't see who else will come in and be willing to spend the sort of money we are talking about to fire Newcastle into the highest echelons of world football. Which other owner do you see spending £1billion on a new stadium?

I think with 40 plus games next season we would have no problem giving enough games to both Isak and Ekitike even if we just rotated them as strikers.

I don't think Howe would want to sell either of his biggest assets which are Isak and Gordon. For me buying Ekitike is insurance against losing either one if a club like Liverpool try to unsettle them. It's not like we've got a massive squad, we can definitely have all of them on our books for a season with a view to selling lesser players like Longstaff or Barnes to offset the Ekitike fee.

I think Liverpool would rather have Isak. They might think it's worth letting Ekitike come to Newcastle in the hope that improves their chances of getting Isak.

I didn't believe the links initially, but we are in a great position to actually do this, or even sell other players to keep on the right side of the PSR line. Would be mad seeing us line up with both Ekitike and Isak for a season.

Yeah that's what I meant.

We could keep them both and then sell Isak next summer tbf.

I kind of liked him as a player even before we found out about his personality tbh. Two footed, and he has the confidence to ping in crosses first time instead of taking the extra touch someone like Murphy needs. Minteh has that as well but he's a lot less polished.

This is Howe though. Someone who has ultimate faith in his own judgement on a player.

If we sell Isak or Gordon to Liverpool I imagine. Depends if Isak's head's been turned.

We should be under no illusions that they bought NUFC to raise Saudi Arabia's profile first and foremost, and put themselves on the map in world football. Personally I was ok with that because we would be the benificiaries of it the same way Man City and Chelsea were with their owners. If they haven't been able to pour money into the squad and build a world leading team, it's because the cartel clubs have gone all in on stopping them doing that. PIF had to sign off waivers to even buy into the PL. They could build a new stadium which might lift us a notch in PL big boy status in 10 years time, but they probably wanted to be able to build a world class team much sooner. There's probably a load of other roads they can go down to invest money and get an instant return.

Exactly. I was never under any illusion that PIF were going to ever put Newcastle ahead of their own interests, but NUFC being successful is very much in their interests. It's the PL and their cartel paymasters who are the obstacle.