trooper

Talks with Rafa going into the 10th day. Also the 10th day of the transfer window being open & all of a sudden this story drops. It feels like a massive smokescreen to me. But hey what do I know ? Bugger all like everyone else. I wonder if there'll be a rush for season tickets now.

This from Caulkin at 9.59 this morning At this stage, it’s worth sprinkling a bit of salt on everything, if only because this is such a familiar path. And there is plenty of cynicism about this new report from those in & around the sale process. “It’s a word beginning with ‘b’,” one says. That word isn’t ‘brilliant’.

It'll all be much clearer in the morning.

Close to buying us ? Hmm The Sun article says contracts have been signed & submitted to the Premier League

Yeah it's to good to be true breaking story at 10.45pm on a bank holiday Sunday night it's a bit suspect

It's not true is it lads ?

Please let this be true

If this £100 million is true (I've no idea if it is) it goes against all of Ashley's constraints. Must include agents fees & the whole of the players contract wages. Never in a million years will Ashley allow that.

" There is an unwillingness to bow down to his demands" Doesnt sound like Ashley's willing to split any difference

Not sure how reliable this is but here it is... From 90Min: ‘Benitez met with the Newcastle board last week, and 90min has learned that the former Liverpool boss has informed the club he wants a guarantee of a £100m budget to take the club forward written into his deal; this excluding money raised through player sales, and not inclusive of player wages. And although the club are keen to extend Benitez’s stay, there is an unwillingness to bow to his demands, thus the delay in any confirmation. It remains to be seen whether the club will give Benitez what he wants – it remains unlikely – or whether Benitez himself will be given enough assurances to re-sign.’

Day 7 & nothing, it really should have been a formality. The longer it drags on the more I think Ashley wants rid of Rafa. It really does show what Ashley thinks of Rafa when he's left it to Charnley to sort it out.

You know & I know, no matter what the outcome of this SJP will have 50,000+ first home game of the season

6 days in & nobody really knows anything

This from the BBC... West Bromwich Albion have opted not to sign Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle following his season on loan with the Championship play-off semi-finalists.

Ashley better hurry up & get Rafa sorted otherwise Rondons going to be snapped up by another club. Looks like West Ham fancy him West Ham have switched their attention to West Bromwich Albion striker Salomon Rondon after a potential move for Maxi Gomez has started to fall by the wayside,

Its Charnley though mate he'll still have to run everything past his master he wouldn't dare make a decision by himself.

Cant help but think this is Ashley's easy way out now they're only conversing via phone & e mail. I would have thought they'd get something so important sorted face to face

This from Caulkin Having spoken to numerous people, this is my understanding of #Nufc / Benítez talks. He, Ashley & Charnley met in London on Thurs afternoon. There was no 2nd meeting yesterday, but nor was there supposed to be. Talks are still taking place, but remotely (IE phone, email).

Yeah it's what I was thinking guess we'll find out soon enough

Saturday morning, the local (to Wolves/West Brom) newspaper – The Express and Star – has confirmed that Salomon Rondon himself, is ‘interested in a move to Molineux’ this summer.

From the Chronicle It is understood that the deadlock between the two parties is yet to be broken

Apparently Wolves are very keen to sign Rondon.

Rafa said he speaks to Charnley nearly every week. Reading between the lines Ashley virtually blanked Rafa in the dressing room on Sunday. Rafa "He said he said thankyou to the team he was speaking to the players" Rafa could have said "He thanked me & the team.

If I was Rafa & his agents I'd feel insulted that Ashley hadn't deemed this important enough to bother turning up. Instead sending that slimy little toad instead.

One man with a fantastic footballing brain & years of negotiating experience. The other an absolute piss pot.