STM

Yep. They speculate like everyone else. Unless they say something non-vague like "Newcastle have bid for/spoken to", it's all just guesswork.

Feels strange that any journalist would speculate as to how much we will spend when the club can't possibly know which targets they are going to sign or how much they will cost. For example signing Mbuemo for 65m would limit us slightly more, on the next signing, than spending 50m on Dibling would. I'd like to think we have enough to go and sign two quality players without having to start counting the pennies and beyond that we can start getting creative with player sales or even finding potential loan deals like we did with Hall.

Shay is Ornstein level as far as I'm concerned.

Putting my captain positive head on.... perhaps this is one of Eddie's targets after all. Has anyone local mentioned this guy because by now they would have been calls in to find out what's going on?

As soon as "house hunting" is mentioned, I call bullshit. A modern footballer isn't looking for houses prior to signing, not like back in the day. You sign for a club and someone else does all that stuff for the player afterwards. Alot of players stay in a hotel for the first few weeks regardless. Besides which, he can look for houses all he wants, with the solicitors in this country he'd be lucky to get the keys before the end of his six year deal.

Do i keep doing it? I know its not spelled like that too.

Id be happy with either. Mbuemo would be more exciting for the here and now.

There's no way Mbuemo is going for 60m, 70 will be closer. Also I think Southampton could be knocked down on 55. For such a young kid you'd make it heavily incentivised with add ons... appearances, goals, cup wins, CL qualifications etc. Remember when we paid 45 for Gordon we thought we'd be absolutely done on price, Dibling has a much higher ceiling because of his technical abilities.

It's got us written all over it. Newcastle have been looking at him for years and if that's Nicksons doing, there's a fair chance we will be after him. If I'm honest, he's not the finished product I'd like for that position but his potential is massive.

Peak age? We've got 2 CBs who have just been in their prime at the 33 year old mark, we've got Trippier who's what? 34? Jacob Murphy has just put in the best season of his career... he's 30 year old. Sorry to be bold, but it's utter rubbish. Both Mbeumo and Guehi could play for this club for 10 years... bollocks to sell on value. They'd take us to a new level where we'd not just be fighting for CL spots but would be a mainstay in that competition. Let's earn our revenue from success on the pitch, rather than signing players we intend on selling in a couple of years time. I don't want potential quality from abroad for 20m to be our standard signing , I want ACTUAL quality from wherever it may come from, be it abroad or domestic. No transfer can ever be a guarantee but I want as sure a thing as possible. The day we start acting like a Brighton is the day I worry.

NGL, signing Mbeumo early doors would chill me the fuck out for the rest of window.

Perhaps they've done the right thing and despite their differences, Mitchell has agreed to stay until the end of the PSR deadline to get some business done. Ultimately Mitchell still has vast experience at negotiations and working with agents etc. Even if they are not his players, he might be professional enough to actually do his job for a month.

Aye your right noone wanted them players.

I'm kind of pleased that he was on something. Makes it make more sense. It also explains why his car was likely getting attacked in the first place... if they knew he was off his nut.

Couldn't you say that about absolutely any player though? "We won't sign x player because x club can offer more money." It just seems like an overly negative statement to make. I mean sure we might lose out to these players, in the same we were never signing Tonali, Isak or Bruno. We are an incredibly attractive club. There's a limit to what we can afford/attract but that's the same for alot of clubs including a certain London Club who think they can have our star striker.