NUFC 'line up' Joelinton & Saint-Maximin – New boss to have no transfer control - Dubious Report
According to the Mirror's Simon Bird, Newcastle chiefs will push on to sign players their scouting team have identified - despite the fact the club has no manager as things stand.
The two players mentioned in the North-East reporter's latest piece are Hoffenheim striker Joelinton and Nice winger Allan Saint-Maximin - with both 22-year-old's likely to fit perfectly into Mike Ashley's buying policy.
With us manager-less as things stand, this sounds bizarre to say the least, however it has been reported earlier today that any new 'boss' would NOT have control of signings and would take up a 'head coach' role instead.
This doesn't justify this baffling approach from the club, but given Mike Ashley's strict transfer blue print, the fact Joelinton in particular was reported to be a player the CLUB wanted (not Rafa) and the claims from France yesterday stating we were 'in talks' with Saint-Maximin, there may just be something in this.
Here's a snippet from Simon Bird's new piece for the Mirror:
'Despite being without a boss, Newcastle chiefs will now push on with signing players they have lined-up with their scouting team, and Benitez was not keen on.
'Hoffenheim’s Brazilian striker Joelinton is a £30m-plus target. Nice winger Allan Saint-Maximin has also been looked at, and would cost £25m.'
As I said earlier, it would not surprise me if the club decided to go off and make their own signings.
After all, managers before Rafa Benitez often had little control on the transfer front, so we may see a return to the old 'Graham Carr-approach', with current head scout Steve Nickson being the main man putting new players to Lee Charnley.
The Chronicle have insisted for some time that Joelinton is a player the CLUB would like to sign (with him no doubt having big sell on value in their eyes), while freports in France claimed just yesterday that Nice star Allan Saint-Maximin was 'close' to agreeing terms with the club.
It's bizarre, baffling and makes little sense when compared to a sustainable and secure recruitment process Rafa Benitez could have offered, however it would not surprise me if Mike Ashley is deciding to do it his way - despite the fact we have no new manager in place.
