NSG

I’ll take a direct quote from the club over an unnamed source

That’s just not true. Here’s a direct quote from their president saying our offer was “good and respectable” but they couldn’t sanction the sale because it wouldn’t give them time to source a replacement. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60156955.amp

I don’t think anyone would laugh if you made a market rate offer for someone who is going to be a mainstay of England’s defence for the next decade. £35m is an absolute insult of an offer and does nothing to enhance the perception that Jimmy boy doesn’t have a scooby what he’s doing.

We are a Champions League club until 30th June

These meant to be on sale now?

Transfer window is open and we haven’t paid a fee yet for a player. Acceptable, or not?

and surnames

There’s a lot of talk about this but when he signed the deal I’m sure there was a comment from Eales or Cashworth hinting it only applied to certain overseas clubs.

If he does go, I wonder how that impacts our recruitment strategy for the summer. It would obviously give us a lot more room to manoeuvre financially, but I wonder if it changes the calibre of targets in other positions.

You only amortise transfer fee, not wages.

Yep, very much looking like Trafford, Kelly, CB, RW, backup striker. Caveat being everything changes if Bruno or Isak goes.

Yeah he’s not going to Villa

I just can’t get with a format where you can finish 3rd out of 4 in a group and still go through. The 48 team World Cup will be dreadful

No thanks.

£20m plus Ashworth and it’s worth a punt.

It’s unlikely but not that far fetched. To get Wharton or Mainoo now you’d be talking 75m+.

If selling him for £40m means we can keep Bruno and Isak and spend in the region of £150m this summer then I’m all for it.

Fair point. Bye bye Martin.

I’d keep Dubravka and loan out Trafford, but with a recall in case Pope gets a significant injury.

Nice one - cheers. Will pop down tonight or tomorrow. Did they have the training kit?

A quick scan shows he wasn’t in the last couple of “Toon in Training” videos. Probably picked up a small knock because there’s no way he’d be out in Ibiza if he was fucked

ffs was going to nip there after work. Never mind.