The Mirror are reporting today that Fulham have lined up Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle as a replacement striker in case they cannot get a suitable deal to take Aleksandar Mitrovic to London.
Mitrovic is supposed to return to training tomorrow from his summer break after playing in the World Cup for Serbia and wanted his future sorted out before now.
But unless there’s some quick movement this week, he may still have to report back to training on Tyneside.
Newcastle want £20M for Mitro, but he’s the striker Rafa would like to sell, and he would rather keep Dwight Gayle on Tyneside for next season.
Aleksandar Mitrovic in action in World Cup for Serbia
Mitro scored 12 goals in 20 total appearances for Fulham while on loan this year and helped them to a 1-0 playoff win over Aston Villa at Wembley in May.
Aston Villa are now a club in serious financial trouble before starting their third season down below.
Fulham have wanted Mitrovic on a permanent move for months now, and you would expect some type of early agreement to have been reached on price – but you never know with Newcastle.
Our procedure in the transfer market are archaic at best and it something that seems to rile Rafa because they move so slowly.
And it doesn’t look like Rafa is happy at having to wheel and deal this summer with little money available.
This is the fourth transfer window where Mike Ashley has withheld funds from the manager.
And Ashley expects Rafa to sign a new deal to stay at Newcastle?
Comments welcome.
103 comments so far
Bigjim67
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:14 PM
Comment #41Mag52 @12
Lmfao! ?
Nicky the ball tosser
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:15 PM
Comment #42Renew your ticket. You don’t know yet that this window will turn out to be a bust, or to what degree there is an impasse between Rafa and Ashley. No matter what, we’ll have a competitive side that will run around hard for the manager this season and who deserve your support.
Bigjim67
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:16 PM
Comment #43? = smiley btw
Jail for Ashley
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:16 PM
Comment #44Nicky,
I think I’ll probably keep it but just feel like he’s having our pants down.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:17 PM
Comment #45Trump wanting to build 500 houses next to his golf course near Aberdeen
If he gets the go ahead hope not will the estate be called Trumpton!
Ps Chuka Uma our however you spell her name was on the Gallowgate End for the Chelsea game –
DubaiMicky
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:20 PM
Comment #46Jail, you know you’re going to renew, spare us the histrionics.
Jail for Ashley
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:22 PM
Comment #47No histrionics at all DubaiMickey, just a talking point to gauge peoples feelings on whether or not they’re in the renew camp or not.
Jail for Ashley
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:24 PM
Comment #48DubaiMickey,
If I wanted attention I’d tell the blog to take it with a pinch of salt but this bloke on the rig told me Rafa is going to announce his new contract on Friday!
Lindisfarne
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:27 PM
Comment #49Our Toon – you have got the wrong blogger
hibbit
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:28 PM
Comment #50Jail for Ashley
we as fans/sth owe Rafa this season
Nicky the ball tosser
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:28 PM
Comment #51Yeah I get it Jail, but Rafa might still win this arm wrestle, and we are only one decent centre-forward away from a pretty good starting 11. Plus, if you’re in the ground you can sing your lungs out in support of Rafa and the lads and give Ashley plenty of stick too. I wouldn’t jack in a ticket if Rafa was still in the job.
TyneMouth
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:30 PM
Comment #52Re; Trump’s 500 houses…
These will simply be money laundering devices to benefit his Russian mafia cronies.
It won’t be Trumpton, more likely Putin Park, or Vladimir Village…
Our Toon
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:30 PM
Comment #53Lindsfarne
Apologies mate, it’ll be interesting to see what comes of all of this if anything
martoon
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:30 PM
Comment #54Jail – personally I’m in the ‘give it one more season’ camp. We should know what is happening Rafa and the club a bit more clearly by the end of the season (at least I hope so).
Changing topic – you have to love the knowledgeable fans who post on the BBC sport site:
“Keep Aleksandar Mitrovic, let Fulham take Marcus Gayle makes sense.”
Jim Medway
Yes Jim 😉
Jail for Ashley
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:30 PM
Comment #55The thing is though there’ll be plenty of tickets for sale to watch them anyway, I’m missing the Spurs game as it is.
Novocastrian66
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:32 PM
Comment #56It has to be your choice mate. Don’t be influenced by anyone else.
Jail for Ashley
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:33 PM
Comment #57martoon,
I was in that camp and probably still am but reading sitc’s post the other day made me think, especially with me missing half the games anyway.
Our Toon
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:34 PM
Comment #58Jail
Its down to you to make that decision, whatever you choose is the right decision for you. I’ve got no qualms with those wanting to attend, I just can’t bring myself to going with him still here as it’s the same every window.
Nicky it’s good that you are optimistic but history tells us that we won’t have a good window with Ashley, penny pinching all the way. In fact I’d even put my house on it that’s a reflection of the same old shite every summer
Ron Knee
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:36 PM
Comment #59Potemkin village.
Lindisfarne
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:37 PM
Comment #60Our Toon
I did, along with others say the online petition started last week was badly written and not specific enough (only emotive). However the parlimentary petition proposed by the MP provides a scope of investigation with a purpose.
Novocastrian66
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:38 PM
Comment #61I’ve binned mine. Fed up with the games Ashley plays. I made my decision back in February as I thought Rafa would be messed around and I’ve proven to be correct.
Ashley cannot stand the thought of allowing Rafa to run the club in his way.
He wants to keep control. Rafa has pushed Ashley into a tight corner but he won’t loosen his grip.
DubaiMicky
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:38 PM
Comment #62Imagine if he did and you’d lost your seat……
jazzyp
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:42 PM
Comment #63Jail
Depends how much you value ya seat mate.As I’ve said I’m giving it one more season for Rafa but that’s me done if this fiasco carries on.
Loads of St not been renewed and I’m sure there will be seats a plenty if fans are true to there word
hibbit
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:45 PM
Comment #64Jail for Ashley
those fans that have given there tickets up are desperate for others to follow, they need the reassurance that they have done the right thing , but it has to be a personal decision one you make yourself
i’m definitely in give Rafa this season camp if he leaves or is forced out that’s when i will decided
martoon
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:47 PM
Comment #65Jail @57 – Yeah in that case I can see why you’re dithering. It’s your decision but I would say it depends on what you do with your ST when you can’t go? If it is wasted then probably give it up but if you let your kids/siblings etc. use it then probably worth keeping.
I have to say knowing the speed the box office work at it might be easier said than done to stop your DD now!
lesh
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:47 PM
Comment #66TyneMouth
The worry is Trump’s buying chunks of Scotland. Where next?
Lindisfarne
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:49 PM
Comment #67Jail for Ashley
Can you cancel and then buy again with another withdrawl period?
lesh
Jul 24, 2018 at 12:50 PM
Comment #68Jail
Maybe your rig colleague has a direct line to Ashley? Maybe he’s a relative of Ashley, a relative that escaped drowning at birth?
Novocastrian66
Jul 24, 2018 at 1:06 PM
Comment #69Martoon. You stop your direct debit at the bank and notify the club by e-mail. It’s easy. The hard part is making your mind up. Painful.
bettyswallocks
Jul 24, 2018 at 1:08 PM
Comment #70We’ve been here before with Ashley and still have no idea what his next move might be. What we do know is that money is his God and obsession above anything else. He is never likely to willingly pay over the odds for something or undersell anything as it is just not in his nature. He has made his fortune from buy cheap and sell dear and this is how he will always operate.
He bought the club as a boy’s toy, status symbol , investment and a means of advertising his tat but does he now actually want to sell up? We don’t really know.
He is now getting some personal criticism from Mainsteam press , Mp’s etc but due to his stubbornness and oneupmanship mentality we don’t know if this bothers him or not. If someone makes a lot of money and invests it in a football club then they are not entitled to lose loads of money or throw huge amounts of their personal fortune
at it .
.Making a profit and increasing the value of one’s investment is not unethical and is what makes the world go round. However to have no consideration whatsoever for the local community of that club when fully aware of what it means to them and to distinguish the hopes of those people for personal selfish reasons surely can’t be right.
ArtyH
Jul 24, 2018 at 1:10 PM
Comment #71The fans group should contact his rival DW and ask them for big flags to wave at matches and to give supporters to parade outside his shops. Also match any price of $hyte Direct for a short period ( or as long as required to get him out ) or longer. This would severely impact his chosen favourite firm and deliver a message we mean business this time. I am sure DW sports could quickly manufacture cheap flags for our us, they may even provide them F.O.C, but even paying a couple of quid for them would surely be worth while. Imagine the impact on the first day of the season if everyone waved a D.W Sports flag??? He would be utterly humiliated and be on the phone to anyone interested in buying the club for 300m. It just needs coordinating.
bettyswallocks
Jul 24, 2018 at 1:10 PM
Comment #72Extinguish not distinguish
bettyswallocks
Jul 24, 2018 at 1:15 PM
Comment #73Lesh……..Let’s hope he buys the club. At least his ego would insist that the club won things.
West Lancs Geordie
Jul 24, 2018 at 1:18 PM
Comment #74This statement could really confirm what everyone thinks about the man:
Michael Ashley was born on 9 September 1964, in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, England. Nothing is known about is parents; however, it is certain that he came from a humble background.
ronaldo aarons
Jul 24, 2018 at 1:19 PM
Comment #75Amanda Stavely takeover rumours starting back up again on twitter… 🙁
sing in the corner
Jul 24, 2018 at 1:22 PM
Comment #76hibbit@64
Massive generalisation there man. How do you come to the conclusion that fans who haven’t renewed are desperate for others to do so, so that they can feel reassured??
That’s bollox mate.
Each individual has their own mind, some will tolerate being mugged off longer than others. Some react on principle, some believe things might change if they sit tight… Multitude of different mind sets.
i hope it works out for Rafa and for all the fans. But one point of view is he is giving a message to the fans that he is still being shafted, and thus will be away…and it’s time for fans to play their hand.
hibbit
Jul 24, 2018 at 1:24 PM
Comment #77ronaldo aarons
i firmly believe there’s a reason Rafa’s still at the club could that be it ????????
ronaldo aarons
Jul 24, 2018 at 1:25 PM
Comment #78In other news, players are turning down Dortmund to sign for Bournemouth. Great for them but very disheartening when looking at ourselves.
West Lancs Geordie
Jul 24, 2018 at 1:25 PM
Comment #79RA – but they are only rumours like all the top players we are linked with but never materialise & never will under this regime!
sing in the corner
Jul 24, 2018 at 1:31 PM
Comment #80And then you’ve got another mindset, eg. Posada
…who has already said he will renew forever, regardless of the circumstances, cos it’s a nice seat. And then proceeds to pour scorn on any attempt to protest against the ownership, declaring rabble rousing and bed sheet waving has never changed anything..
Beat before you start.
Ashley counts on it.