For the longest time, it looked almost inevitable that Newcastle United would snatch up Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo this summer.
The Magpies had been linked with a move for the Cameroon international for months leading up to the summer transfer window, having been branded the club's priority target.
However, when it came time to make a deal, the Magpies fell quiet, and the news broke that Manchester United had won the race for the right-sided forward.
It seemed baffling at the time, especially after it was reported that Mbeumo wanted to move to a Champions League club. Although it quickly became apparent that it all came down to money.
Now, The Telegraph has shed a bit more light on the finances behind the deal and why Newcastle ultimately walked away.
Bryan Mbeumo demanded that Newcastle make him their highest-paid player, which is an accolade which currently belongs to Bruno Guimaraes on £160K-a-week, although it is expected that Alexander Isak will soon be the top-paid player at the club when talks resume later this summer.
Bruno and Isak have earned the right to hold that title, and with all due respect to Brentford, Mbeumo is coming in from a smaller club and trying to be Billy Big Balls. That's now how Newcastle operate.
Manchester United have the means and the stupidity to throw £250,000-a-week at Mbeumo, but Newcastle wouldn't have got him anywhere near that, even if they did bow to his demands of making him the top-paid player.
Bryan Mbeumo might just go on to be an absolute sensation at Manchester United, and justify that ridiculous wage, but for us, to come in from, albeit a very good season, at Brentford and try to claim you're worth more to Newcastle United than Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak? It's a no from us.
Let's see if Newcastle can make him regret his decision next season by finishing well above Manchester United again in the Premier League. Not that we're spiteful in any way.
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
11 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
18 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
20 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |