Newcastle have been linked with trying to sign Salomon Rondon since early June this year when we were told he had a relegation release clause of £16.5M in his contract.
Salmon has one year left on his contract and Newcastle cheekily tried to arrange a one-year loan deal.
But West Brom only want a sale this summer so they can get some money for him before he would become a free agent next summer.
This thing has been dragging on and on all summer, and it appears that Newcastle don’t have the £16.5M to buy him.
Dwight Gayle – wants to stay at Newcastle
So Rafa has been pushed into trying to do a swap deal involving Dwight Gayle, and one report is that agreement had been reached with Dwight and£3M going to West Brom for Rondon.
Ig that goes through we will not have added to our striker numbers although Rondon has done well in the Premier League these last three years.
The Birmingham Mail today are reporting the deal is not close:
“Newcastle United forward Dwight Gayle is a target and could be involved in a deal that sees Salomon Rondon head in the opposite direction.”
“The Magpies have expressed an interest in signing Rondon on loan, but Albion will only let the Venezuelan leave in a permanent switch.”
“Talks are ongoing, but a deal is not thought to be close, contrary to some media reports.”
George Caulkin of the Times has also reported today the reason for the hold-up is not all that surprising – Dwight Gayle wants to stay at Newcastle and doesn’t want to move to West Brom and back into the Championship.
This is a tweet George put out in answer to a Newcastle fan asking what the situation was with the Rondon deal:
“As things stand, I don’t think Gayle wants to leave NUFC which is both fair enough and impressive in many ways.
“So that is delaying things.”
This is Newcastle’s summer saga – why does it always take Newcastle so long to sign a player?
They make it look so very complicated and difficult.
Comments welcome.
59 comments so far
Ron Knee
Aug 1, 2018 at 9:49 AM
Comment #1Classic Yiddish joke of the Czarist period: Two Jews before a Russian firing squad, both offered blindfolds. One accepts, the other scornfully refuses. His friend urges him: “Shh . . . don’t make trouble.”
jazzyp
Aug 1, 2018 at 9:50 AM
Comment #2Surprise surprise no deal eh.Dont worry tho lads according to Jibberish we have multiple signings arriving next week so don’t worry ya selfs.
ASHLEY OUT
geordietom
Aug 1, 2018 at 9:52 AM
Comment #3Ashley pays £50 million in to house of fraser … why not £50million to Rafa to buy players … using clubs money instead of investing in decent players …
Lovem or Hatem
Aug 1, 2018 at 9:55 AM
Comment #4Move on from this deal. Sign Joe Bryan and Lucas Perez, which should be about £12-13 million
nufc 11
Aug 1, 2018 at 9:58 AM
Comment #5Rondon deal is done it just won’t be announced until 10 minutes before the window closes so the fans won’t shouting for more deals to be done after rondon sign because the window will be shut. It’s a classic Mike Ashley move personally I think Tammy Abraham is a better investment.
outside the box
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:05 AM
Comment #6did anyone else get a spam email from nufc about membership 18/19 to allow you to buy tickets ..costs £35 …???
SredniVashtar
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:07 AM
Comment #7Lovem or hatem
It’s funny – at the minute I’m very unsatisfied with this window at mike Ashley’s lack of investment, yet if we spent less that 15m on those two players I would turn from an angry bull into a happy bunny. Come on mike, stop being a w*nker ?
SredniVashtar
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:07 AM
Comment #8That was meant to be a *rolling eyes emoji*
nufc 11
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:15 AM
Comment #9What ever happened to the money from the biggest sponsorship deal in our history that was signed last May with Fun88? Didn’t we get a new sleeve sponsor too wheres that money? And what about the good old Puma deal? who benefits the most from that SD or NUFC? Come on now, Adidas were paying more to sponsor us 15 years ago with all the money in the game now how is that even possible?
anthc
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:22 AM
Comment #10Until the fat slug leaves we’ll never spend money unless generated by selling the majority of our average squad. Rafa got the very best out of our squad with the majority playing well above their level.
Forget Ashley support the club, give him your hard earned 500 quid each season for almost zero investment. unless the attendance drops significantly he’ll never sell pocketing all our clubs and our cash.
New youth academy never happened, bare minimum to get top cat status,
Player investment almost 0,
To top it off prices have gone up for new st’s.
The day we can’t compete with the likes of Brighton, wolves, Fulham, Huddersfield, well any team outside the top 6 is nothing short of a disgrace imo. I don’t expect to win the pl but just to survive isn’t good enough for this club.
It’s gonna kill me not going to the match but I can’t justify lining cashleys pockets for nothing in return. It’s a personal choice and I hope the people who have renewed enjoy but I’ve personally had enough.
BeeGuy
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:26 AM
Comment #11The last minute deals will be the selling or loaning out of the fringe players. Charnley will advise that there was no time to bring anyone in, and he will take another crack at it in the winter window. Poor guy is overworked and underpaid, so give him a break.
Rotonda heights
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:26 AM
Comment #12would much rather have lucas perez or tammy abraham than Rondon.
Crow59
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:26 AM
Comment #133 words – House of Frazer.
50m bailout by our owner who’s Sports Direct has seen profits from years previous have dropped by some 70%. He would argue he’s invested in whatever dying clothing brands and a football club and has new brands of stores that nobody ever goes in. As a result, this dinosaur mentality to business and him having control of another global potential billion pound company in our club, is a disaster waiting to happen. He advertises SD and his gambling interests, as well as having concentration camps scattered everywhere to make a few quid. I’ll give it to him though, he realised there was serious money in football along with other billionaires. Unlike the others he uses it to fund his own business’s and interests when the best way to make money is football.
Rafabomb
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:27 AM
Comment #14I’m just lost with words, I just don’t get what’s going on at our club.
It’s killing me. We just want answer! Honest answers and not the bull crap that he’s palmed of on us every time he starts chucking his Greggs wrappers out his pram
Veltman
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:34 AM
Comment #15Would rather have Lucas Perez and Welbeck than Rondon.
Rowan
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:36 AM
Comment #16Sky Sports reporting that Brom don’t want to pay his wages, and that they don’t want to be forced to buy after the loan.
Typically embarrassing mini-saga… but hopefully we can move on and sign someone else (hooefully). Rondon has not ‘done well’ in the PL these last 3 years!
Abraham, King, Niasse… I’d like any of them… not that we’ve been linked to them but the rumour mill will now go into overdrive.
SPRINGY
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:38 AM
Comment #17I think we will only sign soneone like Reyes as back up to lejeune coz he’s free….maybe a little money on bryan if we are actually interested in him and possibly another loan in midfield/forward position….anyone expecting 15-20+m to be spent on a single player dont hold ya breath for christ sake!Lol…. we’ve sold mitro so rafa wants a big player for the squad so i expect rondon to eventually come in,though gayle myt enjoy the next week or so at newcastle with the club trying to manoeuvre him out the door….of course i maybe wrong and go out a sign 3-4 players for 30 odd million…but fair to say the odds are stacked that im right and nothing much will be spent.
lesh
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:38 AM
Comment #18Posada
What happened to NUST? You’ll see it’s logo on the Magpie Group’s (MG) letterhead but to answer your question, haws. knows what it’s been up to.
As Jail said, let’s not be too quick to write MG off as now – it’s an amalgam of supporter groups and together there’s more scope for developing new ideas and strategies to help the club be rid of Ashley. Conversely, MG may be able to persuade Ashley to change his ways – that’s a big hope but……
Unlike its predecessor which with the support of Malcom Dix, John Hall and Freddy Shepherd who formed the original Magpie Group (MG1) got rid of the McKeeg dynasty by buying up the club’s shares, MG doesn’t have that opportunity available to it.
What it does have though is the opportunity to consider different approaches to get Ashley to sell up. The one that springs to mind and it will need a lot of money to do it, is to buy shares in SD there by giving access to other shareholders who may be disillusioned with Ashley and his way of running SD. Additionally, being an SD shareholder brings with it the right to attend SD’s AGMs and ask difficult questions. Radical MG representatives could demonstrate at the AGM and expose Ashley for what he is and has been as owner of NUFC. Now there’s a,way to get the worldwide media interested!
Bringing NUFC fan groups together under one banner provides hope – let’s not write The Magpie Group off too quickly. Get behind it and be involved.
lesh
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:42 AM
Comment #19Ron Knee
Given recent mutterings, it could be you that ends up in trouble!
😉
lesh
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:47 AM
Comment #20Rowan
If West Brom don’t want to pay Gayle’s wages, and don’t want to be forced to buy after the loan, it looks as though they’ve adopted Ashley’s ways. How ironic that they could miss out on a decent Championship level player because they wouldn’t pay that little bit extra. The irony’s there for all to see.
Geordie-john
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:55 AM
Comment #21Geordietom comment #3
Now we know where the 19th position and tv rights money has gone . House of Fraser !
Haway man everyone how much more shit are we gonna take from the greedy clown ? He needs to kicked into touch now. There’s gotta be some Ashley songs out there that can be shouted at him or on social media
Nicky the ball tosser
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:55 AM
Comment #22It’s all very dramatic, but we need to simply see how the window pans out, and then judge Rafa’s reaction to it. A week and a half to go. Press is, by and large, to be taken with a generous pinch of salt when it comes to football. They’ll write anything to meet deadlines and sell ads, subscriptions and papers. Two or three decent signings and a few fringe players fixed up and we’re good for a proper tilt at the top ten. There’d still be plenty of unanswered questions about the club’s finances though, but are other club’s any different in regard to transparency? Of course, if we don’t get the players in, then yeah, the fans and Rafa will quite rightly erupt.
Geordie-john
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:56 AM
Comment #23Sorry that’s supposed to be 10th position or is that a prediction of the things to come after Rafa leaves us .
kakaobi
Aug 1, 2018 at 10:56 AM
Comment #24All we ever asked now is where’s the money gone then every other Saturday give him more money you can see who the mugs are here. Ashley’s laughing all the way to the bank.
magscar
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:00 AM
Comment #25I drew attention to the open letter last night and applauded it. It may not get through Ashley’s insulation or even if it does may be easily shrugged off by him. Some may think it is useless but each to their own.
However if it is picked up nationally it does get a variety of fans views out for exposure and not of the rant type but a cogent and compelling case as to why we want Ashley to back Rafa properly or make way for someone who can and will.
Whether the new grouping can build on this by agreeing a united strategy to successfully carry forward who knows but so far nothing has been done to harm Rafa or team and focuses on the man who makes it happen (or no). What’s not to like?
hibbit
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:02 AM
Comment #26till the window closes what choice do we as fans have no one will walk away while there’s even a glimmer of hope,
it is time the various fans groups joined forces and this is/has come about by the if rafa goes we go campaign’
one or two extra large egos will have to be put to one side to make this work though,
one other thing don’t be surprised if Ashley tries to undermine this process with a couple of decent signings
stu mel
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:02 AM
Comment #27The last time I posted I said I’m off sick of Mike Ashley and that was last year. He makes loads of money from newcadtle he will never sell I hate the bloke he ruined football for me that’s not even a lie. I just don’t care. A toddler can do the maths Mike can do the maths as he chuckles to the bank he made over 100mil at newcastle in the last 2 years his scouts on here and in the media say over wise but it’s lies. He a people c@#! And why I don’t support newcastle cause I’m just supporting a fat cat ripping me off. And I smile on a weekend since I prey that newcastle get a decent owner then I’ll come back but only then
magscar
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:14 AM
Comment #28As for the £50M to House of Fraser how do we know it is from NUFC? If Ashley draws from the club to spend personally then it will show up in the relevant period’s audited accounts as loan repayment or directors fees or similar. He or his companies have others assets he can draw or loan against
I know many on here regularly use phrase “into his pockets” but that isn’t like taking from the petty cash tin. If you believe the accounts are massaged in someway to diguise monies taken out of the club then report it to HMRC.
Mind just a suspicion that he does, however widespread it is, won’t likely be enough to get their investigators rubbing their hands. Football clubs have been long on their radar and we had taste last year when it seems fom reports the PAYE side involving agents’ fees and players was being looked at but that wouldn’t necessarily then evolve into a full blown investigation into any CT or VAT fraud without some indication that there was issues worth looking into with their finite resources. Nothing has come of it yet but it isn’t unusual for enquiries to drag on and settlements to be made without any criminal proceedings being involved or much publicity.
magscar
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:25 AM
Comment #29hibbit
You are right about ego’s and also strategy as these have got in the way of previous attempts to unite and they of course are very natural feelings when 2 or more independant groups try to come together with similar objectives but not necessarily actions to achieve them.
Things are feeling different as we now have hope of better in Rafa staying previously it was only about how to get Ashley or Pardew out and time is very much of the essence so might bring about agreement so as to size the moment before too late!
Last time the original Magpie Group also had Hall and Dix as opposition to then owners. It is a pity that we haven’t similar public figures to unite behind as an alternative but NDA’s would perhaps prevent any one poking heads above parapets even if there are still prospective buyers out there .
Be interesting to know if there was anything behind scenes being shared but I suspect not as these won’t exactly be closed shops so a big risk.
NezzaNUFC
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:28 AM
Comment #30House of fraser has no connection to NUFC what’s so ever, it makes me laugh when idiots say it’s from Newcastle that MA invested in House of fraser lol
SD generate 5x if not more income than Newcastle will ever generate so keep your head in the sand!
ronaldo aarons
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:28 AM
Comment #31Im glad Gayle wants to stay. We have the money for Rondon, should buy him rather than weakening the squad. If he can keep the form he showed from February onwards we will do well. I would back him to get his goal scoring touch again. Since when do we get rid of players who obviously like it here actually want to play for the team?
posada
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:28 AM
Comment #32In English law you do not need a written agreement to have a contract.
He said every last penny.
Was he not coming to an agreement with me.
He would put in every last penny and I would put in money to support the club.
Times that by 50,000.
Had to fight a court case when he threw up in the fire place.
Tosun A. Wobbler
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:29 AM
Comment #33Pardon my ignorance but…what exactly is “an Open Letter”?
magscar
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:30 AM
Comment #34Although some decent further signings before window closes might seem to take the immediate heat off as the group’s focus is also to keep Rafa here I would expect/hope that there will be ongoing strategies even if he stays but crucially he hasn’t signed a contract.
posada
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:30 AM
Comment #35Other thing is you have to stay positive when you manage high achievers.
Rafa has been put in a position where he has to get certain players out to get some in.
Like Gayle.
Also we are told Ritchie.
Hardly leads to inspirational leadership does it.
Get up salmon
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:38 AM
Comment #36So basically its not even one in one out any more mitro out 22 mil replaced by..
magscar
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:39 AM
Comment #37Tosun a wobbler
Normally a letter is private between sender and receiver an “open” one is to someone publically by putting it out in public domain through Press or Internet.
As with a normal letter receipient can simply choose to ignore it. Ashley may well do but the contents are already out there for debate in Press and forums etc so might Ashley want to control matters by responding?
My guess is he won’t publically respond as he knows the points too well and that we also are fully aware of them it is an opening shot to built upon and hopefully gain some momentum as a united opposition is usually more effective thandivided ones.
A marker in ground for a united and effective campaign to follow? Futile ? who knows but still early days and i for one am interested to see where it goes.
Tosun A. Wobbler
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:39 AM
Comment #38That dangleberry Simon Jordan on Talk Sport this morning pontificating about the “Rafa to manage Spain, just during the World Cup” matter. As usual took his high and mighty attitude blethering away for 10 minutes about what a divisive incident it was. I can’t clarify his angle because I couldn’t make head or tail of his drift, but I can say that he as much as said he thought Rafa “may have whispered in Ashley’s ear that he might fancy the opportunity”. What a sh*t stirrer.
Tosun A. Wobbler
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:41 AM
Comment #39Magscar…..comprehensively clarified! I thankyou.
Jib
Aug 1, 2018 at 11:41 AM
Comment #40Shit – I hope he signs someone soon
Anyone would do just to stop the flow
of tripe that’s getting posted on this
normally very good blog.