According to the Mirror’s Simon Bird, Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley held transfer talks in a head-to-head meeting in a Tyneside hotel this morning.
The North East reporter claims that Bruce has asked the NUFC owner for “one or two game changing players”, with him keen to improve his starting 11 this month in a bid to guarantee Premier League survival.
Here’s what Bird has had to say during his latest piece for the Mirror, revealing that the pair held a transfer summit on Tyneside earlier today:
Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley are talking transfers in a head-to-head meeting this morning.
The pair met for only the third time at a Tyneside hotel with Bruce hoping for backing to sign “one or two” game changing players.
After United progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 4-1 win over Rochdale, with Ashley in the stand, the Sport Direct tycoon stayed in the North East to thrash out a plan for the January transfer window.
Newcastle are pursuing options in Europe, believing the players they need are not in the top flight or Championship.
They have to decide whether to land England Under-21 star Ademola Lookman form RB Leipzig, who want a commitment to a £20m permanent deal.
PSV’s Cody Gakpo has also been looked at and United have an interest in Everton’s Mason Holgate.
This will be a big test of Mike Ashley’s ambitions this season. Spend and we can guarantee survival and have a good crack at the top 10, but fail to invest and we leave ourselves open to a dogfight – especially if our injury issues persist.
Despite Joelinton’s goal in last night’s 4-1 win over Rochdale, the big issue remains our lack of goal scorers.
The Brazilian will have gained a huge confidence boost after scoring his first goal at St James’ Park, but he needs help and we need a more reliable option up top while he finds his feet in the Premier League.
Almiron is finding form and Allan Saint-Maximin has been brilliant, but to go into the second half of the season without extra firepower would be risking a lot.
Over to you, Mike.
If any journo worth his salt had THAT sort of inside info he would have named the actual hotel, believe me. Furthermore, what sort of ‘owner’ only bothers his a**e to talk about what might need to be done in the transfer window once that transfer window has been open for two weeks?
Ian L(Quote)