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Newcastle face January player mutiny


Jimbo
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NEWCASTLE bosses are facing a dressing-room mutiny when the transfer window opens in January.

 

And Mike Ashley is bracing himself for a longer spell as owner despite dropping his asking price to £200million.

 

The Sports Direct billionaire, who spectacularly fell out with Toon fans after the departure of Kevin Keegan in September, has not received ONE offer to end his 18-month reign.

 

Sport of the World has learned that neither of the American consortia who read through the club’s sale brochure has proceeded to due diligence.

 

And even though Ashley now wants out as quickly as possible, no other would-be buyers have emerged despite a whacking £80m price cut.

 

The Newcastle owner must now try to mend soured relations in the St James’ Park dressing-room.

 

Toon stars are still fuming after it was revealed that the entire first-team squad was put up for sale on the last day of August.

Persuade

 

With Newcastle in meltdown in the midst of Keegan’s fight for more control, a fire sale was launched, with Aston Villa landing James Milner for £12m.

 

There remains an undercurrent of suspicion that a similar situation will arise when the window opens again in the New Year.

 

Manager Joe Kinnear will meet director of football Dennis Wise on Tuesday to discuss possible January targets. He remains convinced he can persuade John Arne Riise to move to Tyneside.

 

JOE KINNEAR - plans

JOE KINNEAR - plans

 

The former Liverpool defender has failed to command a regular place at Roma and Kinnear wants a quality left-back.

 

But the manager may have to raise funds to boost his transfer kitty. And that has increased fears within the squad that players will be sold if top offers come in for them, as was done with Milner.

 

There is also growing unrest that SEVEN players whose contracts run out next summer have still to hear about new deals.

 

Four of those — Michael Owen, Nicky Butt, Steve Harper and Shola Ameobi — have their agents now actively seeking new clubs.

 

And all seven will be free to begin negotiations in the new year about a free transfer move at the end of the season.

 

That could lead to either cheap exits in January to haul in funds for team strengthening or pre-contracts being signed with new clubs, weakening Newcastle for a coming relegation scrap.

Interim

 

The Geordies’ squad is already one of the smallest in the Premier League and the club cannot afford either departures or de-motivated players.

 

There is also unhappiness that while the players’ futures have been left in limbo, Kinnear has had his own status resolved.

 

The former Wimbledon boss took over as interim boss in October on a rolling contract. He has since had that extended to the end of the season as Ashley fights a so far losing battle to sell the Magpies.

 

With his continued ownership a mounting problem, Ashley may have to open talks with angry stars to keep Newcastle in the Premier League.

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Guest stormrider

"Mike Ashley said fine, leave it with me. We have to stay in the Premier League and we can still have a good cup run.

 

"The point I made to Mike was that he needs to protect his investment. And if we get those players in we will be smokin'."

 

-JFK.

 

---------

Is this what the thought-stream of sports professionals like?

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I find it hard to believe that anybody involved with the sale of the club would tip off the NOTW tbh

I don't.

 

Me neither, there are people within the club that actually are fans, they hate whats going on as much as the rest of us.

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I find it hard to believe that anybody involved with the sale of the club would tip off the NOTW tbh

I don't.

 

aye, it isn't as if one of their main sportswriters is a friend of Mike Ashley or anything

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And Mike Ashley is bracing himself for a longer spell as owner despite dropping his asking price to £200million.

 

If that's actually true, then we're so far up :birthday: Creek it is scary.

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