Club reporter sends transfer warning to NUFC – but is ‘certain’ we’ll complete record deal

The Mirror’s Simon Bird feels “certain” the club will break their transfer record, but warns Newcastle chiefs that we’ll still need more than FIVE new signings to avoid ‘standing still’ this summer.

Bird – a North-East writer for the Mirror – is yet another reporter who’s expecting us to make a big money move for Joelinton, however he feels TWO striker, a left-back, a right-back and a Mo Diame replacement are absolutely essential. Yet we’ve got just 24 days left to do business.

It’s baffling really. Ashley could back Bruce with a £35m striker, yet he had no interest in compromising or allowing Rafa to sign Rondon for half that price – despite the fact he was our player of the season.

It makes little sense, but this is a bloke who handed Steve McClaren £80m to spend in the space of 6 months!

Back to Simon Bird’ piece, honest and hard hitting piece ahead of Steve Bruce’s imminent appointment – believing his arrival will complete a ‘terrible’ summer at St James’ Park:

The 19th richest club in world football, mid-table in the Premier League last season and awash with spare cash, is poaching a journeyman manager, Steve Bruce, from mid-table in the Championship.

Owner Mike Ashley has become so toxic, that any coach on the up, and wanting a serious crack at building a club, has looked at the job and thought: no thanks.

The playing squad is in China for the week, without a manager, and minus its two top scorers from last season Salomon Rondon, and Ayoze Perez. That’s 25 goals gone.

Newcastle are the only top flight club yet to sign a player this summer, and the days are ticking by.

Bruce might fancy his excellent people skills to deal more successfully with Ashley and MD Lee Charnley than Benitez, reinvigorate their ambition and loosen their transfer policy. He’s kidding himself if he thinks anything substantial will change.

Charnley will find himself having an easier personality to manage that Rafa. Indeed they will certainly break the club’s transfer record again, most probably for Hoffenheim’s Joelinton.

‘So 24 days and counting until the transfer window shuts.

‘Newcastle need two strikers at least. A right back, a left back, a midfield replacement for Mo Diame. Just for starters. To be standing still.

He says we’ be ‘standing still’ if we completed the five deals mentioned above, yet I’d argue we’ll have still taken a huge step back. Why? Because we’ll be without the catalyst behind our recent success in Rafa Benitez no matter who we sign, not to mention the fact our pre-season preparations have been shambolic up until this point, with us losing all the momentum we’d gained following that 4-0 win at Fulham in May.

We’ve had some bad summers under Mike Ashley, but this is our worst yet for me.

We’ve lost a world class manager and replaced him with a Championship coach. We’ve lost our two top scorers an replaced them with no one. A takeover seems to have stalled, season tickets are not being renewed and we’ve not had one ounce of communication from the club while all the above has been unfolding in front of our eyes.

I fully expect Mike Ashley to sanction a few last minute transfer in a bid to get fans back on side and committing to season tickets, but we must NOT fall for it.

The damage has been done this summer as far as I’m concerned – especially now our Rafa Benitez replacement looks set to be a manager who’s not only an ex-Mackem but a man who’s not even made any great impact in the Championship over the past few years.

(Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Olly Hawkins

As a Junior Magpie since birth and season ticket holder, I eat, sleep and breathe all things NUFC! Here at the blog, I aim to bring you news, views, match reports and transfer exclusives as and when I get them.

7 thoughts on “Club reporter sends transfer warning to NUFC – but is ‘certain’ we’ll complete record deal

  1. I expect Ashley is going to spend £36m on a striker as a middle finger up at Rafa

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  2. £35 million on a player. Do me a favour, do these journalists know nothing about the man they are reporting on?

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  3. Get over it he’s gone,lets move on with more success than the last three years. Superbrucieboy 🙂

    HWTL

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  4. Ashley is suddenly going to blow £35 mil on someone we’ve not heard of and Rafa obviously was n’t interested in. He preferred Rondon for half the price ( proven striker but no ‘sell on value’). Ashley blows £80 and gets relegated in the past, despite Rafa’s best efforts. Control freak who did n’t like being educated by a proper football man in Rafa. The man is an overgrown child with a toy. Determined to prove everyone wrong even though he’s already been proven wrong on numerous occasions. Running NUFC like Sports Direct. An obvious comment, I know, but there still seem to be fans out there who are are in denial. Pardew got a 6 year deal as a yes man and Bruce is apparently going to get an even longer contract. If he got an 8 year deal, he’d be pushing 70! literally the definition of madness!!!!!!!!!!

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  5. 35 million is this fantasy football or did they mean 3.5 million on a new striker, think the fcb’s taken the **** again, hard to believe! Boycott boycott boycott ashleyoot.

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  6. mactoon:
    £35 million on a player. Do me a favour, do these journalists know nothing about the man they are reporting on?

    It’s only £6m spent in real terms though so it could happen. We’ll then have the pro-Ashley numpties saying we’re too demanding and praising Ashley for splashing the cash.

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  7. Lee Blakey:
    If he got an 8 year deal, he’d be pushing 70!

    I’m glad you’re not doing my accounts. 58 + 8 = pushing on 70?

    As for fans out there being in denial – no, there are fans out there who are capable of independant thought and can look at things like an adult.

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