STM

Tell you what, it's lovely seeing quality players knocking around the club. For once I was looking at them struggling to spot the players who are shite.

Or we have given up on Diaby and started ramping up the winger enquiries.

Interesting that Trippier, Schar, Botman and Targett were all training together in the gym. Coincidence?

It certainly seems that we are still trying to get deals done, despite reports of a hiatus.

Wonder if we are lining up a double deal for him and Broja.

My initial reaction to both links is interesting. I was far more excited by the idea of Gordon than CHO. Yet, I'm entirely aware that CHO is far more talented (skills wise) than Gordon. I think I'm concerned that CHO would be an Atsu type signing, someone who comes in, contributes and shows flashes of what he's capable of but ultimately is too inconsistent to be a long term solution. Where as Gordon seems like someone who will be around for a long time, a Milner type if you will, a grafter, a team player, someone who will be a real asset to a squad. To be honest, I'm not against either signing but CHO for 20m (just guessing) would be a better signing than Gordon for 35m. Right now we need quality in the final third and CHO would provide that. He seems pretty versatile too from what I've seen.

So when do they head to Austria and for how long?...and the same question for Portugal? Do we have a full week after the Bilbao game, back on Tyneside, in the lead up to the start of the season?

Still our star. Jesus he's absolute lush man.

Everton can't throw money around, they don't have it. Even with Richarlison sale, I can't imagine they are a position to out bid anyone.

I'd far rather see this lad as an impact sub than Almiron or Murphy. It might allow us to sell either of them, if we feel he is up to it. Shouldn't he be getting a season alongside Bruno and Trippier, even just in training, it would bring on his game loads.

Just booked 2 for Bilbao. Took me 2 minutes.

Nearly quarter of a million followers and followed by Mark Douglas and Keith Downie. Wonder if we will hear more about this in the next week. Be interesting to see if Leverkusen are receptive.

Well we will probably have an obligation on Broja. Therefore we can pay for that next summer.

I think the theory is that we will try and spend big on Diaby and then go after Broja on loan or someone else to be back up to Wilson.

I have to wait until Friday, so if it sells out I'm fucked.

If we can get a fee which is closer to 40m than 50m i think we will do business. We need to make sure this lad actually wants to join first though. We will be keeping negotiations quiet to prevent someone else steaming in and we will pretend we aren't really that interested.

I'm not even going to pretend like I know why I'm posting this:

We aren't slowing down so Eddie can assess the squad, we are slowing down to assess the market.

We are no where near being enough of a threat for it to be a factor.

He's absolute worth a two year extension, even with his injury record. Eventually he will be our back up striker and who better?

If Dan Ashworth can't out manoeuvre a skint Everton, something is seriously amiss. Yes Lampard might know Broja but if we lay down our plan on the table, in comparison to Evertons and he decides to join Everton, well perhaps he's not a player we should be persuing.

Quick way to find out about a players character. Mind you, if it's a loan with an obligation, we can blow Everton out of the water with whatever loan fee etc we want. Broja might not have a choice.

It's all a pointless arguement. Basically, if we can't sell them, we will loan them out and we will accept proposals from the clubs willing to pay the highest percentage of wages. We will wait as long as possible for clubs to get desperate and therefore willing to pay more wages. I wouldn't let it worry any of you, most will be gone come September and those who aren't probably won't make the squad. None if them are under any illusions about the situation.

For me, I don't want us buying a striker unless they are the real McCoy. I don't mean that I'm against Broja, the opposite actually, I'm all for us finding a temporary solution up front until the right person comes along. I want the "Bruno/Botman", of the striking world and that's going to set us back 60m potentially, which means we need a window where its the sole (or just about) target to sign a top rank striker. In essence, we have too much to do this window to sign 5 or 6 players and a 60m striker. In 12 months it might be a different matter.

Aye, never played at a world cup or anything before that.