The Prophet

If this was the case, most PL clubs would struggle to put a starting eleven out.

Latest stuff from Douglas if anyone is interested: Newcastle United are edging closer to a club record deal for Marc Guehi after tabling a fourth bid understood to be in the region of £65m. The Magpies are one of several Premier League clubs “spinning plates” in the final fortnight of the transfer window with player exits still a possibility to facilitate further signings. An insider predicted a “frantic” end to the summer, with the transfer market finally hotting up and Newcastle braced for bids for Kieran Trippier and Miguel Almiron, who was the subject of interest from Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC this week. But it is England defender Guehi who has always been the club’s top central defender target, and a fourth offer to Palace that is closer to their asking price could finally bring an end the long-running saga Palace are considering the bid and it may require further tweaks to the terms before they accept it – Chelsea have a sizeable, 20 per cent sell-on clause for Guehi – but the latest offer appears to have changed the mood music around the deal. It looks increasingly as if Newcastle will be required to top the £63m they paid for Alexander Isak two years ago to broker a deal for Guehi and the size of the fee is why the club’s director of football Paul Mitchell has been attempting to drive a hard bargain. Newcastle’s position under the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) means every extra million paid out for Guehi is felt in their attempts to recruit elsewhere. They are actively in the market for a right winger and are also understood to be looking at further “project players” in the mould of William Osula, who they signed from Sheffield United last week. An unsettling summer has seen Newcastle lose Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson, two of their outstanding young players, to comply with PSR while struggling to offload some players who are surplus to requirements. Then there is a third column of players that Howe wants to keep in an ideal world but must contemplate selling to provide PSR headroom. One of those is Almiron but Howe insisted on Friday he remains a “very important player” in the Newcastle squad and, as i reported earlier this week, there is no desire to drive him out of the club.

If things played out as the media claim (there's a lot that doesn't add up) and the club are as methodical and process driven as claimed, I'd be surprised if any mistakes were repeated.

Found these comments interesting from Howe: “There are two ways to look at it,” said Howe, whose side kick off the new Premier League season against Southampton tomorrow. “If you believe in the deal, believe in the player and it’s still within your financial structure, then yes, 100 per cent, you keep working on it. “But there are also times where we have to go, ‘Okay, that’s too much’, and we’ve done that plenty of times in the last two-and-a-half years. People might not have found out about that, but we’ve had to switch targets. It depends on the deal and the amount of money that you’re going to spend.”

From the Standard: "Despite failing to meet Palace’s demands, Newcastle are understood to be confident in brokering a deal for Guehi. The bid was not immediately rejected and negotiations between Palace chairman Steve Parish and Paul Mitchell, Newcastle’s sporting director, are ongoing."

It's a steep price, but if he's a constant in the back line for the next ten years he'll be worth it. I always back the club on incoming transfers, they've earned it.

Massive amount of players out of contract next summer. Fully expect Longstaff to get a new deal.

Why are Juve absolutely gagging to get rid of Chiesa?

On the latest Athletic podcast Ornstein has a chat about us. Nothing new really, regurgitates info on Guehi and expects Bruno, Gordon and Isak to stay, with potential new contracts for the latter two.

Christ

I'll eat my hat if Burn doesn't start.

Spanish sources love chucking our name about.

It does also mean that you're taking less of a risk.

Rightly or wrongly, the club are probably worried that they can't afford a £40 million dud. Ironically Botman, Bruno and Isak are three of our best buys.

Don't think anyone is disputing Palace have every right to dig their heels in though?

Just commenting on d-link.

I'm pretty sure it won't lead to a disastrous firesale. even I think we are overpaying.

It's been going less than two weeks would you believe.

They probably want £65 million to cushion the blow of Chelsea's sell on clause. Gives them a profit of £52 million.

Aye. I think the Anderson situation means this won't drag on too much longer. Hopefully enough cash left over to secure a winger too.

Potentially more competition mind.