goodrobotusses

Think if Rodrygo does replace Diaz, he’ll be the backup No9 and first choice LW.

Yeah, think it’s this summer or never for us and Isak.

Bit less than that, although his overall G/A is very good. Only one season with a decent goals return, mind (although was never a regular at PSG). Isak’s record pre-NUFC didn’t make him look a sure thing either. Guess Ekitike comes as a (very expensive) project. Could explode, could be another Darwin, but hopefully the former. My feeling is at worse we get a lanky Firmino.

Obviously feels a bit disappointing after the 5min or so we thought Isak might happen, but if it is Ekitike, stats nerds reckon they have very similar profiles, only at three years younger Ekitike is rawer. Maybe similar to where Isak was when he went to Newcastle (not a guarantee of having the same trajectory, of course): One thing I’d say from watching clips of Ekitike is he doesn’t seem to strike the ball as well as Isak, but then few do. On the plus side, he doesn’t seem to come with the injury worries Isak would.

Athletic reporting we've contacted Frankfurt about Ekitike.

Can it outrun a Preston centre-back?

Feel like Hughes might end the summer by ripping his shirt off and yelling “Are you not entertained!?” at the internet.

Feels like getting big-dogged by Real Madrid has unleashed our inner schoolyard bully. More concerned about him being a walking red card. Suspect his injuries might be a Postacoglou thing.

Honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen a game in which he hasn’t passed directly to an opposition attacker. Don’t watch Bayern that often obviously but he always seems terrified on the ball.

Plus Arsenal’s interest in Isak dried up before summer even arrived. I think we’ve got the player onboard, just a Q of whether we can get NUFC to sell.

Ha yeah! Should have been more specific.

Also terrible on the ball.

I have a feeling all of Nunez, Diaz and Chiesa will go, with a proper No9 and a multifunctional forward (LW who can play through the middle: Gordon, Rodrygo, Nkunku, take your pick) coming in, and that’ll be it. The latter will then compete with Gakpo and operate as back-up to the new No9. Chiesa was a non-factor last season. No way he’s kept and elevated this season.

Let’s see if we start seeing stories about Isak being difficult, agitating for a move, saying he won’t sign that new contract. NUFC will have “done everything” to keep him (club record new contract and No9 shirt offered, 75m new strike partner) but the ungrateful s*** still wanted to go so the club “had” to sell him.

Do you think they think they can qualify again for the CL with a points deduction?

Nice words and maybe plausible given how well Ekitike and Marmoush played together in a 3-5-2 this season, except Newcastle can’t afford to lash that much on a single player given all the diddles they had to do last summer to scrape past PSR. Maybe they’re selling Gordon rather than Isak, but they’ll have to sell someone. Forgot about Elanga. So either Gordon and Elanga are playing wing-back and their very good full-backs are getting dropped, or vice versa. Or the Guimaraes-Tonali-Joelinton midfield is getting binned to play 4-4-2, the same midfield that played us off the park twice last season. Elanga in for £55m, Ekitike for £70m+. Wonder where that £125m is coming from. Maybe they’re banking on winning the CL.

So either NUFC are changing their shape to accommodate both Isak and Ekitike (Gordon as a wing-back anyone?), or Newcastle are lashing €80m on a back-up when they’ve been sailing close to the PSR wind every summer.

Off the top of my head, are the lads who didn’t appear the ones who had later-running international commitments this summer?

I honestly thought he’d been injured the entire time at CFC but turns out he made 48 appearances last season. Think his first year at Chelsea was the only season in which he has missed a significant amount of time.

Some guy from L’Equipe says we’re monitoring Nkunku. Is a player the recruitment bods liked at Leipzig but that was before the injuries at Chelsea. Now 27.

I thought so too, worried about loading too much burden on Grav and Mac again, but think we have gone/are going so big financially on other positions that it’ll be deferred a year. Can’t remember who it was, but a poster here said we were in contact with Wharton’s camp. Reckon that’s something we’d maintain over the season while monitoring his performances and fitness, and then go for him next summer. Don’t think Palace would much appreciate us trying to take Guehi and him off them in the same summer. Don’t think he wants to stay at this point, was kind of plain when he downed tools in that game mid-season. And if that’s the case it’ll be best for all parties to find him a move, even if it ends up being a loan with an obligation to buy.

Think of the teams linked, someone like Brighton would be a better fit for Elliott. Forest don’t want the ball and West Ham are a basket case.

West Ham after Elliott and Morton, according to Steinberg.

The new “come and get me (please, anyone)” plea