Polarboy

You'd assume both parties wouldn't go to the trouble of direct negotiations if there wasn't a deal there to be made.

When asked Howe said he was hopeful we'll sign someone next week, but there are no guarantees. Hopefully he was just being a bit cautious and Pedro will be sewn up in the next few days. I think he was vaguely asked about Pedro when the question was asked. So he didn't name him but that was his response. Having Pedro would really help us manage Wilson's minutes better, like today when he felt his hamstring was tight. Wood is OK for a sub, but compared to Pedro's pace he may as well be running in concrete.

Sounds like Wilson being taken off was just a precaution for a tight hamstring. Thank fuck for that. Bacon tits would have left him on and let him get a serious injury.

Literally and figuratively.

Yeah there is no debate, Pope is clearly the superior keeper between him and Dubs.

Ciggy and mahogany on to win the game for us.

His movement is amazing, but how do you not have someone tight on Haaland at all times.

Never in doubt 😂

I can't tell if things just aren't quite falling for Wilson today, or if he's got balloons for feet in this match.

It really is just that last few properly competent players in attack that we are missing. If we had a Maddison, Harrison etc we'd likely be level.

Pope is going to need to get a promotion to Saint if we're going to get something from this.

Newcastle United vs Manchester City live stream - soccer streams (footybite.cc)

Yeah Leeds won't be for selling. It would need to be a ludicrous fee given how important he is to their team. Leeds could be decent team again on that performance, but obviously we are still only three games in. And this is without a lot of their new players having time to settle yet. Sinisterra their Raphinha replacement, who was hyped by some, had an injury at the start of the season, so has yet to get a full 90. Apparently we had a scout at the Porto, Sporting match the other night there. I just have the feeling we are going to get a surprise in the last few days of the window.

Yeah he looks a proper player. He was probably slightly unfairly overshadowed by Raphinha when he was at the club, especially when you look at both their stats.

Max Power taking the field. The Express, so boulder worth of salt at the ready, are claiming that Romano has said that we've put in a double bid for both Sarr and Pedro. As I've said I'd definitely take Sarr, and nicking a player off Gerard would be hilarious given Villa are hovering close to sacking form. But unless Romano said it on one of his podcasts or interviews, he hasn't posted it on Twitter as of yet. This would be a new level of shite reporting from the Express if they're making up stuff other transfer experts have said.

According to the Mail, Pulisic only wants to join a team in the Champions League if he leaves Chelsea. I'd guess he'll be away to either Italy or Germany if that's the case.

Are we likely to be spending 30m on a defensive mid though? Perhaps if he's a player we have in mind for the future and we think we can get him now, a bit like Bruno's transfer, added to Shelvey's injury. Plus I suppose if we get Pedro and then one of the Chelsea players on loan we'll be covered for the striking and wide positions. I have seen some journos say we're after two permanents, and Downie has said we're after a midfielder given Shelvey's injury. So all thing considered it could have some legs.

Thank fuck I had my headphones in.

That's what I was thinking. Hopefully not. Presumably they would have played Pedro at the weekend if the intention was to keep him if they sold Sarr. Then again perhaps they withdrew him because his head wasn't right to play. Him wanting to move will surely have an influence on their decision though. Fuck I hate the transfer window 😂

I'm still none the wiser as to what the difference is between a verbal offer and presumably one that is sent in writing, you know apart from the obvious. Hopefully that offer will get it done given they were reportedly after 30m. The only thing that should really scupper it is the stipulations for the extra 5m being entirely unrealistic.

Watford are definitely willing, so if it's the case of a few million surely something will get done. If this transfer goes down the tube I'm going to get flashbacks to the Ashely days of when literally two or three million would scupper a deal. I'll add the caveat that the new owners are nothing like Ashley obviously, but if they are so rigid as to let a transfer go because a player is a few million over their top valuation, then that's pedantic in the extreme, at least comparatively in football terms. I know they want to stay within their planned spending for each window, so we can spend substantially and sustainably, and not be in Everton or Leicester's positions, but surely there's some wiggle room. Of course my hypothetical rant could be unwarranted nonsense 😂👍

In fairness I wasn't comparing Pedro to Pulisic, I said there probably isn't much of a gap between Sarr and Hudson-Odoi, and perhaps Pulisic. I said perhaps Pulisic because he likely does have more quality than Sarr, but at the minute it's mostly unrealised.