In his final press conference of the season a week ago, Steve Bruce said this when asked for an update on the transfer front:
“We’ve got one or two things in the fire right now who we’re hoping to bring in. We’ve got one or two things up our sleeve that we’re trying to do.
“Let’s hope we can pull them off. We’ve got competition.”
Seven long days later and the transfer window is now officially open.
The Saudi takeover may be all but over and our summer business yet to begin, however there’s been a few reports emerge which may well have revealed the identity of the “one or two” deals Bruce was referring to last Friday.
One is Arnaud Lusamba, the French midfielder who we’ve been in ‘advanced talks’ to sign on a free for a few months now if The Chronicle are to be believed.
He almost certainly appears to be one of the players Bruce is referring to, especially when we look set to lose Matty Longstaff, seems unlikely to keep Nabil Bentaleb and are yet to replace Mo Diame when you think about it.
Another player who’s emerged onto the scene and also fits the bill if we’re buying on a budget is Ryan Fraser.
He’s been a player we’ve been linked with for some time, and the Shields Gazette write today that the out of contract Scot will decide on his future soon after receiving offers from Newcastle, West Ham and Crystal Palace (Bruce did say we ‘faced competition’ for the mystery player’s signature).
Interestingly, The Chronicle’s Mark Douglas has also written in his latest piece that an unnamed signing is ‘close’, adding a bit more fuel to the fire here.
Two free agents may reek of bargain basement to some, but it’s common knowledge that we’ll be buying on a budget this summer, with us feeling the financial effects of COVID-19 and seemingly highly unlikely to spend big while Mike Ashley waits for a sale.
I could be way off, but it feels like this may well be the pair Bruce was referring to last Friday when you join the dots…
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Ah well rinse and repeat lads & lasses! Takeover was never gonna happen and for once Ashley ain’t the bad guy staveley wasn’t just kicking the tyres this time ! The premier league just did not want it to go through and there was not one thing they could’ve blocked it on all the t’s were crossed and the i’s dotted but I tell you they sure know how to stare someone down ! The premier league were determined not to pass it and they’re tactic of just sitting it out hoping the arabs will get bored played out well for them in the end ! If they approved it a shitstorm was coming at them not approve and a shitstorm was coming at them so sit it out and the solution will present itself ! After this I think I’m done with it all it has been draining and exciting and boring all at the same time ! I dont think it will end good for us now I think we will get bought out but by the wrong people and I only see trouble for us this was our best chance to become something more and anything after this I can see being trouble as in financial trouble ! Dodgy dealings ,investigation after investigation because football is attracting the wrong sort of people and we will end up with the shepherds and halls all over again and end up on the brink of folding !
Andrew Aslam(Quote)
Not good enough simple
Edward Trott(Quote)