Newcastle transfer policy raises worries

Newcastle fans will have been heartened by their win at Aston Villa yesterday, but concerns persist about the club’s lack of activity during the summer transfer window, despite their insistence that they did their important business in January.

Newcastle fans will have been heartened by their win at Aston Villa yesterday, but concerns persist about the club’s lack of activity during the summer transfer window, despite their insistence that they did their important business in January.

Director of football Joe Kinnear conducted negotiations with Lyon forward Bafétimbi Gomis. Gomis has since said that, having reached an agreement with Newcastle, he was asked to cut his wage demands. Apparently, signing Gomis would have meant Newcastle taking an overdraft of £7m and owner Mike Ashley thought that Gomis was overpriced. The same also applied to Darren Bent with whom master mind Kinnear also held talks.

In the summer Ashley blocked any additions to backroom staff, other than on a consultancy basis, while other departments, including the media team, have lost personnel.

Ashley bought the club for £134m in 2007 and has since lent them £140m interest free, but the last accounts showed that he had been repaid £11m in short-term debt, He was entitled to around £18m in the financial year just ended, but the club are adamant that he has deferred payment, for how long is unclear.