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And on that basis, we must surely be confident that the outcome is favourable. Didn't you say you had reason to believe that the PL came out of the hearing very badly?

People are getting the idea that it is a victory from the three journalists who have covered this whole saga from the outset. All three journalists believe that this paves the way for our sponsorships to be approved. Much gets said about the reliability of sports journalists on here and, to a...

I think you make some good points, but the key difference between 115 and APT is that the former strikes at the heart of our integrity. Any form of settlement carries with it the implication that we had behaved improperly. Unless we have actually behaved improperly (something which feels...

Having gone through a full IC hearing though, I'd have thought the opportunity to settle would have long since disappeared.

I really don't see how 115 can be "settled" at this point.

I see it as a significant win. The objective was to get these deals approved. It is being reported that these deals will be approved as part of the settlement. City have never denied the principle of FMV. We challenged APT 1 and APT 2 because we felt that challenging the lawfulness of the rules...

I think a lot of people attach some weight to what Lawton, Ziegler and Keegan have said today. They all think that the lucrative Etihad deal has been waved through. Those three have been at the forefront of reporting on the APT case and, to the best of my knowledge, haven't got anything wrong...

That's a really good effort. I reckon those departure amounts may be a little optimistic, but by the time you throw in some academy sales then £213m feels attainable. I think Stones and Ortega will leave and we'll sell Ake, so I can envisage nine first-team departures and a total well in excess...

In which case he goes for free at the age of 31. I didn't start watching football because of finances and wanting to be an accountant. We keep him for as long as we possibly can and not a day less.

Way quicker. Ban announced in February 2020, appeal to CAS immediately, hearing in spring/early summer 2020, verdict delivered in July 2020.

It's a small thing but it matters to me - why does he not have a profile on the "Players" section of the club's website? That's our official base in the virtual world. He's a part of our squad, he should have a presence there.

I think so too. Such things are decided by small margins. I think had Gundogan stayed one more season then we'd have done it. The 23/24 Gundogan was still exceptional and might have got us through that Madrid wall at the Etihad. I think we needed to sign a better player than Kovacic, but Kovacic...

But that's the point - he learned of Liverpool's interest and shithoused his way out of Newcastle. What's to say Olise wouldn't be tempted by a move back to England if he knew that a top club was interested? He might not be quite so brazen and brat-like about it, but to think Olise is locked in...

Why would Newcastle sell Isak? If the offer is right and the player is tempted then anything can happen.

Selling Salah and VVD to Saudi can only realistically happen next summer. It would shift about £800k-a-week in wages too. The issue they would have though is replacing them with similar quality. We're talking about two players who'd get in an all-time PL XI. Losing VVD would be akin to us losing...

They never sell anyone for any money. I think Oxlade-Chamberlain is their record sale for £35m in 2017. In fact, I think Anelka and Overmars are still in their top 10 sales.

Really good post, agree with every single word. I think Viana is having to deal with a lot of issues he has inherited. The only obvious mistake I would say he has made is the Dias contract. I don't think we were right to extend his deal.

Yes. I think Marmoush would be very difficult to shift but I think he's a good player with versatility. He's not had the chance to settle in any single position. It's felt a bit stop-start. I'm actually confident about him. I think Savinho has a bit more time than Doku due to being younger and...

I was perhaps a bit harsh to use the term 'deadwood' for some of them, but we are limited in terms of what we can get out of them now due to being injury prone and slightly past their prime. They won't be the only departures. It wouldn't surprise me if the likes of Nunes, Nico G or Lewis were...

Yes, unless Ortega gets a move to a country for which the transfer window has not yet closed. At this point, a loan seems just as likely.