Mike Ashley to pay six-figure fee to land new coach as Bruce breaks silence on imminent appointment
After weekend reports claimed Graeme Jones was in talks to join Steve Bruce's coaching team, it seems a move to bring the Bournemouth assistant to NUFC is now imminent.
Steve Bruce has confirmed he's "hopeful" the former Belgium assistant will arrive over the next 24 hours, while TalkSPORT's Alex Crook reports that we're due to pay a 'six figure' compensation fee to The Cherries after he was given permission to speak with his boyhood club.
Here's what Crook has had to say, followed by Steve Bruce's take on the 50-year-old's arrival:
"He’s been given permission to speak to us. Talks are ongoing.
"It’s something we’ve been looking at for a while now with the problems of COVID.
"Let’s hope we can get it resolved and he can come and give us a hand."
"Hopefully, we’ll get things sorted in the next 24 hours.'
'He’s a Newcastle fan, and I think that’s what tipped him our way.
"He wants to come and work at his hometown club."
So, Mike Ashley would rather pay several hundred thousand pounds to 'help Bruce out' than pay £1.5m in compensation fees to sack Steve Bruce.
Is this us slowly moving out the current coaching team in preparation for Bruce's inevitable sacking or a clean sign that the NUFC owner has faith in the current manager and would rather support him on the cheap than pay him off completely? Sadly, I think it's the latter.
Let's hope Jones is one hell of a coach. What a complete and utter mess.
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