Queens Park Rangers attacker Matt Smith has revealed how Tom Cairney was left surprised at being linked with a move to Newcastle United on deadline day.
Newcastle United were widely touted to be very busy during transfer deadline day and the Magpies were expected to bring in as well as offload a host of players during the last 24 hours of the window.
One of the players widely expected to be leaving Newcastle was striker Dwight Gayle after Championship outfit Fulham placed a bid of around £15million for the 26-year-old.
Newcastle were holding out for a higher fee though and in the negotiations, the Magpies allegedly requested for Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney to be included in a potential part-exchange deal taking Gayle to Craven Cottage.
The reported deal collapsed though and now former Fulham attacker Matt Smith has revealed how Cairney was left surprised at being linked with Newcastle.
Smith stated that he was following the deadline day developments alongside Cairney at home and explained that the midfielder had no idea that joining Newcastle United was even a possibility on the day.
Smith told BBC Radio 5Live, “I was actually sat with him on the sofa watching Deadline Day. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it goes we’re hearing Tom Cairney is in for a swap deal with Dwight Gayle.
“I looked at him and said ‘T, I’ve been sat with you for two hours and you’ve not mentioned a thing’ and he’s said ‘I don’t have a clue about this one!’
“It was my best mate Tom Cairney at Fulham, he’s not leaving, which means I’ve still got my next door neighbour and my coffee partner after training which is good.”