finally it is said

After considerable discussion of January transfers, in-which is certainly sounded like Joe Kinnear was going to be given some much needed funds to go on the acquisition trail, it appears he inadvertently let out that he must maintain a positive transfer balance.

As reported in the BBC, in referencing the progress on targeted players, the manager said:

“At the moment, there could be teams bidding more than us.

“It would help if I could move some of the players here and get the finances in that way. But we have had no bids for them.”

This should not be a surprise to Toon supporters and somewhat expected given the financial confines of the club. Yet while it may appear to be a tough card to be dealt it is one that we as loyal supporters must understand and consider it with the total complexion of the transfer window. Worthy of consideration, how does this impact the decision on trying to hold onto Shay Given and is Joe Kinnear merely showing a crafty side saying the Republic of Ireland ‘keeper is staying in an effort to drive up the price a bit? With apparent interest from Manchester City and Arsenal to the tune of £10m+, this is quite possibly the only bargaining chip to play.