'I'd be surprised': Keith Downie receives positive Marc Guehi update while doing live stream

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, for Newcastle United ... and we're still talking about Marc Guehi.

The £65 million transfer of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace to Newcastle will go down in legend as the longest footballing tale ever told if things don't come to a head soon.

The two clubs have been within touching distance of an agreement for about two weeks but both are being extremely stubborn over the last few details that would see the deal get done.

Journalists, and whatever we call ourselves in the fan site space, are sick to death of talking and writing about it, but it's such a huge story that we'd be remiss if we didn't.

Keith Downie says he'll be surprised if the deal doesn't get done

It does seem as though things are crawling towards a conclusion, however. The Telegraph tried to suggest that things were edging closer but their copy betrayed their headline and it felt like we were no further forward at all.

However, during the Loaded Mag's Livestream yesterday on YouTube in which they had Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie on as a guest, the journo took a phone call mid-show that provided an update on the Guehi situation.

“What I’ve been told just now is that further talks have taken place today.

“There hadn’t been anything over the weekend, so there had been nothing since Friday.

“Further talks have taken place today and, it’s a line I’ve been saying a lot, the two clubs are trying to find a way of getting this done.

"From reading that, what I’ve just been told and a conversation I had last night, I would be surprised if it doesn’t get done.”

Crystal Palace have stepped up their search for new defenders

Perhaps the biggest indicator that things were moving towards a positive conclusion, before Downie's phone call, was that Crystal Palace seem to have really stepped up their search for new centre-backs.

We've said before that at this point, Newcastle lose regardless of the outcome. As our very own Liam said yesterday in our office, "If we don’t sign Guehi, it’s a waste of time. If we do sign him it’s a waste of money."

Newcastle lose if they walk away, and Crystal Palace win if they get £65+ million. So the way I see it, we might as well come away from it with a new player.