31 Jul 2026 11:38:45
I do wonder what the departure of the Manager Eddie Howe will do to any hopes of us signing their left back Hall.
Reports suggest Hall and Howe had the same agent, and that presented a conflict whilst both were there, but that now is not the case. Does that make it easier? Newcastle fly off to Spain for pre-season training later today, apparently. The new manager due in tomorrow does look a strange decision, but I can’t see him wanting to let too many key players go.
They have let several players go already, and Guamares looks likely as well.
If we are interested in Hall, is it now easier to get him or harder? If we wait for them to sell Guamares, it feels like they may be more determined to keep Hall.
Looks ideal for me and we cannot go into a season relying on Shaw. Dorgu isn’t a good enough left back.
Why are we waiting?
31 Jul 2026 13:28:53
It's hard to know if it makes it easier or harder.
They have lost 2 already in Gordon and Tonali.
Bruno looks set to go, so do they need to sell Hall. Will he push himself out like it appears Bruno will or Isak did?
You seem to have no idea how transfers work, Redman. It's not like the days of old where you're sent an offer to the club chairman.
Nowadays
You need to get agreement with an agent.
Then the players.
The agent needs to see if the selling club are open to offers and get an indication of what offer will be accepted.
Only then will clubs enter club-to-club talks.
If the player's club won't engage or get a heads of agreement with the agent for the player's departure, no offer will be made.
Discussions happen between clubs and agents before anything else can happen.
You say why are we waiting?
How do you know we are?
You've no idea what conversations are happening and the order things need to be done in.
The selling club will often not agree to a sale and meanwhile look for a replacement so as not to disadvantage themselves, and then when that's done agree to a sale when they have sorted their cover.
I spoke with a current EPL manager about this only a few weeks ago.
The managers/coaches rarely get involved until late in the day, with some exceptions.
The costs are very, very complex, with many hands in the pie, so, and to quote him, "nothing is as it seems from the outside."
He said complex contracts, agents, and outsiders make things very difficult.
When he was a player, he had teammates who had signed over all their rights and responsibility to agents/companies that controlled their every move, and they had little or no say.
I think Hall is a super player and would be a good signing, but Newcastle don't have to sell, and unless they give an indication they will accept an offer then what can you do.
They may have, after speaking to Hall, agreed to sell him but when they are ready.
So we either wait for him or move on.
31 Jul 2026 13:33:00
I'd like Hall. But not sure we'll go for a marquee left back. I know Shaw is injury prone and getting on a bit, but he's had arguably his best season for many years in terms of performance and injuries, and Hall will expect to be first choice. I just don't feel that the club considers Shaw quite done just yet. Maybe just me.
31 Jul 2026 13:38:58
Sell Shaw whilst he has some stock, after his amazing season, everyone keeps raving about.
31 Jul 2026 14:12:05
You'd find fewer buyers for Shaw than Rashford.
31 Jul 2026 14:28:17
But Shaw probably wouldn't be as fussy as Rashford.
31 Jul 2026 14:46:58
TW,
Amazed any players get sold based on your post, but they do, and when a club don't want to sell.
Somehow, Liverpool managed to buy Isak, Spurs Tonali. Amazing how it keeps happening, and to think it's not done on the back of a cigarette packet. There again, Woodward would have bought Benson & Hedges for our defence.
31 Jul 2026 15:11:43
Why are you amazed? It's how all transfers get done for the overwhelming majority.
It's very different from how it was in our day.
When all parties want the same thing, it works efficiently.
The difficulty happens when a player needs to force an exit. Most don't.
Tonali is nothing like Isak, he was allowed to leave easily when the price was met. The fact you compare/liken the 2 shows how little you understand.
Isak forced his way out, not training and refusing to play, going on strike effectively.
It's becoming a bit more common but still unusual for a player to do that, as it destroys his and his agent's reputation and breaks trust. It's not something the buying club likes to see happening either.
Woodward is gone thankfully but the negative impacts of his decision making and transfer ignorance will live with us for a while yet.
31 Jul 2026 15:27:31
TW,
You missed the sarcasm in my "amazed".
Oh, things have changed since we bought Big Jim Holton, but didn't Ronaldo say something about being a slave before we sold him.
Look, I understand the principles and the nuances, yet we need to get deals done. Another season of only Shaw at LB is high risk. Plus a CM, plus a ST.
31 Jul 2026 16:06:34
I'm sure they will get done what they can. We need all sorts, so won't get things done this summer. Selling clubs won't make it easy, Red Man. If Newcastle can spoil things for us until the last day of the window, they will. They are not there to help us, they are the opposition.
31 Jul 2026 21:40:09
We need to be ruthless, just get rid of players and pave the way for the newer direction.
I think you'd find ubs come in for Shaw, but he is probably just riding the last wave. I hope, beyond hope, we aren't dumb to renew his deal like we did with Maguire.
The door was wide open, just say goodbye to Maguire, and we buckled at the last minute and kept him. One more year for the boys, hey.