Viana

Tbf if they want 120m assuming Alan is 40 of that, then 82m Euro bid would suffice.

I'm sure this has delighted Sunderland to be seen as part of the Newcastle region.

That should tell you how likely it is.

Miami has some rich history with South American number 10s.

Frustrating as I had under 21.5 on my coupon.

I'm pretty sure Man Utd cited COVID and a change in UEFA rules in their defense, meaning it likely wasn't an egregious break of the rules. If we feel another pandemic is on the cards it may be worth revisiting your suggestion.

I hear this argument a lot. It's very easy to pontificate about players being lazy or unmotivated (we had our fair share in that category under Ashley), but I also think it's worth considering that individuals need to feel challenged. It's why so many players take about a fresh start. It's a new set of teammates, new city, and it allows you to shake off some of the baggage you might have been carrying. I'd like to believe Eddie Howe will have done his background checks on Barnes.

I rate Patterson but that's shocking on his part.

The great irony of people saying we can just buy the league is that with FFP we can’t. We will have to earn it through shrewd growth.

Another goal for Chris Rigg last night. Looks a player.

Less a 'come and get me plea' from Kane and more a 'We're coming to get him' from Bayern.

To be fair, can probably do a year there, earn a lifetime wage, then pop back to Europe. I'll be curious to see how many of the new arrivals under 29 see out their stated contracts.

He's a Champions League player, they're Champions of the Saudi League, it just feels like a 100million transfer to me.

Talk of deals not being 'close' is intentional ambiguity. I think the lack of football in the summer means we all obsess over transfers because we don't have the important bit to enjoy. If we can get one more major deal done before heading out to America it'll be grand.

This is a great point. The year we finished 5th we didn't do a great deal with the squad and we all knew where the shortcomings lay. This squad, while not perfect, has genuine depth to it and we've just added a 55m midfielder to it (soz Vurnon, love ya m8).

You're right. I also think we should avoid him for two reasons. 1.) I don't think he's that good. He has a skillset that works for a team like Reims, but at PSG he looked quite awkward and clunky in tight spaces (from what I've seen). I think in Isak we have now what Ekitike was billed as potentially becoming one day. When money is tight I don't see a point in taking that risk and giving PSG 20m for the trouble. Last summer we could be a little bit more optimistic with our signings but the landscape has changed considerably. The expectation on the team is bigger and the wiggle room due to FFP is smaller. 2.) If he comes here and doesn't work out early doors I can see fans turning on him really quick.

"West Ham said they didn't like it but they have to go along with it."

I noticed that both Leverkusen and Ajax have dropped their asking price for Moussa Diaby and Edson Alvarez respectively. It's things like that which give me confidence in Ashworth and the recruitment team. It would have been easy to pay the asking price or close to it due to desperation. There's clearly a plan and they're sticking to it.

His performance against Sunderland when Tiote was sent off might be one of the best defensive performances I've seen in person.

Aston Villa looking to bin Lucas Digne off after only 18 months. We dodged a bullet there, unless it was another smokescreen.

I loved Colo. The Championship year made him, and he was rightly one of the best defenders in the league at one stage. Even his final hours here, while not the peak of his powers, showed why he was highly rated in his youth. There's a collection of players (Jonas being in that pile too) that I'd love to have back at the stadium now Ashley is gone.

The range of star players is going to make it a relatively unique situation. The struggle they'll have to overcome is poor crowds and making sure the marketing is good. They've distance themselves from the 'retirement league' jibes with certain signings, but they do actually need to make the games entertaining.

We’ve gone slow because it’s not like playing monopoly. You need to identify which clubs are available, what the catchment area is like for talent, what the viability of a decent fan base is. These clubs are meant to operate like a passive income of sorts, so just buying any old club is far too risky, and why some hedge funds have failed.

I think we’re also seeing why the multi club model has been adopted. FFP had a lot of good intention - protecting fans and clubs from ruin - but it also sits at odds with the capitalist approach to economics that football has long run on. If we signed a promising Brazilian kid to our team in Belgium, then flipped him here for 2m before selling for 10m our purchasing power grows. Do that four times over and suddenly you’re afforded greater flexibility in the market. It’s all a bit messy.

I muddled goals and assists - it happens.