STM

What a mess.

Basically Rafa has said "show me the money". If they spend, perhaps he will sign a new contract, if they don't, he will be gone next summer.

I reckon might Clark might get the chop too, if they can find a replacement. I have a lot of time for Clark, he should be top of any championship sides shopping list. He's easily worth 10m to a ambitious championship side. 7m + Clark for Gibson would make alot of sense. Won't happen like.

If these are excuses for last year, well I dont buy it but i will let it go. If these are excuses for the coming season, well...

Keep saying stuff like this.

He's been very quiet recently.

That isn't how it works though. Do you think PSG bid 200m for Neymer without already knowing if he was keen? West Ham will have sounded Rafa out. Call it tapping up or whatever you like. That's how it works. Call me stupid but if I were, the West Ham owner, I would not go on record saying I was already talking to the manager, before I have agreed to pay the buy out with his current employer, especially when there is currently another high profile case going on involving Silva. This is Gold and Sullivan. In their first presser at West Ham they talked about how another club was about to go out of business. Anyway guys, we will see.

That isn't how it works though. Do you think PSG bid 200m for Neymer without already knowing if he was keen? West Ham will have sounded Rafa out. Call it tapping up or whatever you like. That's how it works. Oh aye. But the Neymar buyout was openly discussed for weeks, let alone 7 days prior. I mean officially one club surely has to mention it if it's so close to completion and involved Rafa. Unless they wait til next week and get Rafa to hold a West Ham scarf with the receipt printed on it Aye but again, in theory, West Ham could meet his release clause and have him signed in 7 days.

That isn't how it works though. Do you think PSG bid 200m for Neymer without already knowing if he was keen? West Ham will have sounded Rafa out. Call it tapping up or whatever you like. That's how it works. https://twitter.com/CaulkinTheTimes/status/997162213520625664 I hadn't seen Caulkin's words. My point still stands, in theory, they could have held talks.

That isn't how it works though. Do you think PSG bid 200m for Neymer without already knowing if he was keen? West Ham will have sounded Rafa out. Call it tapping up or whatever you like. That's how it works.

Where has Lee Ryder gone?

What would be the point?

This is what I see. Why would West Hams owners leak loads of Rafa links if they had someone else lined up?

Someone hold me.

I mean, yeah. That reads as if they're talking to someone (Pellegrini? Emery? LVG?). Unless the press know fuck all, surely it would've came out if they'd paid the clause and/or were speaking to Rafa? That's a great point, the process would have had too happen way too fast for it to be Rafa, they have to approach Newcastle first and get permission to speak to him, even if it is a "release clause" and not a "confirmed compensation amount", he can't just talk to another club without the agreement to pay the fee be in place, that's clear tapping up. That would be all over the press, Ashley would have ensured that happened to start managing the shit storm that would come his way. "They paid the fee, nothing we could do." . Bishop would absolutely want to be ahead of that situation. Tapping up literally happens all the time. Agents can talk to whoever they want. All they have to do is get the nod.

Sounds like they are talking to Rafa and they are about to activate his clause.

He's fucking going isn't he? It's over for me, if so.

It called a release clause because we have no choice.

All this news is from West Hams end, presumably in an attempt to unsettle him. We want Rafa to stay, Rafa wants to stay, we need to calm down.

We should definitely be looking at him. He will end up at Everton or Leicester IMO.

He's probably a decent coach. He's an awful manager.

Fair play like, it takes some going to be that much of a cunt, years of dedication. Imagine him in the Barca dressing room turning to Messi, Xavi and Iniesta and saying "Let me tell you about this manager in England."

My worry is that Spurs might go for Rafa.

Those poor kids. RIP

Can you not loan two from the same club? Perhaps I read it wrong, maybe it just said we are interested in both.