Simon Jordan REACTS to Bruno Guimarães asking to LEAVE Newcastle amid Arsenal INTEREST!

It will be a heck of a story if England end up winning this World Cup, Simon.And now we hear Sir Keir Starmer plans to grant a bank holiday if England win the World Cup.He's due to leave number 10 on July the 20th, the day after the World Cup final.And number 10 has indicated it would confirm the bank holiday if the team reaches the final.The day off would be most likely.Reaches the final.

Friday, well, wins the final.Wins the final.The day off would more than likely be Friday, July the 24th.Do you want to put that in your little planner in your phone?

I'll be safely ensconced in Spain on our well -earned break.Well, maybe over there will be a day off for everybody.Nuevo Andalucia is permanently a holiday.They have more holidays than any other part of Spain.They're ridiculed for being the part of Spain that's gone holiday most of the time.

Would this be a worthy parting gesture?from Sir Keir, if you can all have a day off here, in this part of the world, with England winning.

And he's indexing himself to some success, which is a rare thing for him to be able to do.So he'll be able to index himself to a bank holiday which will go down in perpetuity if England win a tournament, because Keir Starmer gave it, and the car crash of his premiership will be eradicated in the memory of the fact he gave everybody a bank holiday for that particular win.In perpetuity, right?Ad infinitum, we're going to have a Friday of every year, I mean, yeah, I mean, I don't know.I mean, this shows you the reach of football, doesn't it?Consider a while ago.

Consider the fact that a while ago that public holidays were given.I suppose if we call them bank holidays, it's because the banks were on holiday, right?Yeah.So why can't we have a football related holiday?What's more important now, banks or football?

Yeah, well, true.I mean, the holiday apparently would be accompanied by a huge victory parade and street parties.So there you are.I don't know if there'll be a street party around my place, but we'll see.

No, but I mean, if we can celebrate, we were in New York.Yeah, we saw the Knicks Knicks, right?I think that if we were to win the World Cup, and obviously, we don't want to get ahead of ourselves.If we were to win the World Cup, then because football brings people and because it's a national, it brings everybody together.And I think it would be wonderfulpeople to celebrate it.

Are you being serious now?

No, I'm being absolutely serious.Bank holidays are no bank holidays.The principle of celebrating it, the principle we're now getting, we're now a celebration culture.And every time you win a game, you celebrate instantaneously.So we are in that space.But because we live in such a troubled world, and I think it's always been troubled, I just think we've got more access to seeing what the troubles look like than we did 50 years ago.

There's more broadcasting, there's more channels, there's more visibility, social media.So we get to see all the horrible things in the world in 3D that you only ever saw maybe once a week on News at 10.We now see that up by the hour.So when you get an opportunity to remember, to celebrate, and to take yourself away from whatever, difficulties life is pushing towards you, then I think these opportunities are there, few and far between.And out will come every single NBA player, every player will get a gong, everyone will be a sir.We'll have to...

I'll see Sam Matterface introducing Sir Declan Rice, you know, to Harry Kane, to Bakaya Saka, you know, and on and on we go.

It's going to get ridiculous, isn't it?If they win.On and on the World Cup goes.France -Morocco tonight, nine o 'clock.Spain -Belgium.Tomorrow, Norway, England, Saturday, Argentina, Switzerland, Sunday.

All these games live right across the Topsport Network.Incidentally, you and I made the New York Post.I just...Who did, for getting grabbed?Well, me for almost getting nicked at the Knicks parade.But no, a bit of an insight into White and Jordan, the phenomenon that is.

So the Americans did catch on to it, and they are aware of us, and they have saluted us.So thank you for that, New York Post.Simon, here's the thing.A whole bunch of business being done here.Interestingly, I see that Newcastle have signed Sean Stewart from Ajax for 23 million, because he's an 18 -year -old midfielder, I understand.because it's Newcastle I want to talk about and more specifically the person of Bruno Guimaraes.

Bruno has informed Newcastle, you'll be aware of this, of his wish to leave and join Arsenal.Arsenal have indicateda willingness to pay up to 60 million for the midfielder, but Newcastle have no interest in selling.So we've been in this movie before, have we not, Simon?

Yeah.

You, no doubt, as an owner, have been in this movie before, or have you?In negotiation, how do you hold a hard line amidst what you would deem to be the almost inevitable that he'll go?

Well, I think it's clarity.I mean, it's easier said than done.I mean, I had a case in point specific was Andrew Johnson.But my relationship with Andrew Johnson was at such a level that when I sat down with him, because he wanted to go, Palace had got relegated, he wanted to be, he was in the England team, Everton wanted to buy him.Yeah, he wanted to go.Yeah.

And he was told no unequivocal terms by me, he wasn't going.He could go at the end of the following season if we didn't get back up again, but stay he would.He can have a little pay rise even though we're relegated to the championship, but he will stay.And from that point of view, I didn't find it a particularly difficult battle.And his agent didn't want it.His agent was just dropped, kicked out of the training ground and told never to darken these doors again.

But insofar as this situation with the player power that Sean Dyche was alluding to, which I recognize, I still think communication is part of it.I still think the Newcastle hierarchy have got to sit with his player and his agent, not be told they can't because he's their employee and he will do as he's told and make himself visible and aware to them and sit down and say right well listen we don't want you to go you're not going but if there is an opportunity if there really is a situation where you we have to sell you it'll only be on these terms so get your head around it yeah get your head into this space that we will only sell you at this price Because it will come down to pounds, shillings and pence.It doesn't matter who the club is.Everybody's for sale if a price is met.But it is almost inevitable though, isn't it?We know what happened with ESAC.

The only way you can change the inevitability of the outcome not being to your best interest is to control the process and tell people very clearly and effectively and succinctly what is the outcome.You will stay if these conditions aren't met.

It is remarkable though.It is remarkable how footballers behave, I find.I mean, as recently as 2024, Bruno Luiz

Never said that I would like to leave.Since I signed for the club I always said I want to put my name in the club history and nothing changed, nothing changed for me.It is keeping going.I still want to win some trophies for me.When I signed for the club, I said I want to play in the Champions League and everyone said I was crazy.And we got it.

Now I want to be in the Champions League again.I want to win something for the club.I think the fans deserve it.We have worked so hard to get it, so it is still my dream.

And then a year later, Simon, they win the Carabao Cup, and Bruno says, this is my second home.We're making history.Someday, when I leave this club, I want the fans to sing my name the way they do Alan Shearer.I'm not sure that's going to happen.

First and foremost, ask yourself the question why these players suddenly were all deserting the sinking ship.It's not a sinking ship, but it doesn't appear to be a particularly ambitious one.It doesn't appear to have an ownership model that everyone thought was going to change the whole direction of football.Oh my God, we've just sold to a nation state, one of the richest nation states, and look what they're going to do to football.But they haven't done anything.They're going to buy everybody.

They're going to buy Ronaldo.They're going to buy Messi.They're going to have this player here, that player, this player, you know, and they haven't.They bought a bunch of players that, to some extent, they've gone and made better.And these players are now doing what every player does, which is go, oh, Liverpool.Oh, Arsenal.

Oh, Real Madrid.And that's what Newcastle have found themselves in a position of doing.So ask yourself the question, despite the vilification of a player that two years ago said he wanted to stay, nothing lasts forever.He's done his two years.He is entitled to leave.How he leaves is the key component part of this.

But also, why?Why are Newcastle now a place where people want to leave from.And that's the problem Eddie Howe's got.That's the problem that Matey Boy says to everyone they're going to win the league by 2030.Those are the challenges that they've got.

that's right.So, Simon, on that very theme, and I'll carry on your theme there, Newcastle fans listening to us this Thursday afternoon, get involved with us this afternoon, because this is an ongoing situation.You remember what happened with Alexander Isak?Well, he went to Liverpool.It hasn't exactly worked out for him, has it?Liverpool.

You lost him.You're about to lose Bruno, or are you?But how would you feel if you lose Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal?Are you resigned to losing another one of your stars despite the excitement years back, as Simon rightly says, around the Saudi takeover?Are you now resigned to your place in the food chain?Newcastle fans calling us in big, big numbers.

These are some of the best fans in the game, in my view.Newcastle United fans never let us down, and this afternoon is no exception.03717223344.Bruno Guimaraes has informed Newcastle.of his wish to leave and join Arsenal.Arsenal have indicated their willingness to pay up to 60 million for him.

Newcastle have no interest in selling.We're going to go to the call.Simon, tell me a moment ago what you told me in the break, though, because you have vast experience in situations such as this.He's got two years left on his contract.having signed a five -year extension in October 2023.

Yeah.

What does that signal to you?

Well, what does it mean in real terms?I mean, first and foremost, unless you're a winning club, it's very difficult to get players to sign new contracts, right?And it's very difficult to become a winning club because the situation and the circumstances are weighted against you because of PSR.So you've got a player that's now two years out on his contract.It's pretty much realistic to say every single month that goes by that you keep him as he winds his contract down, you're going to lose two or three million pounds on his value.Right.

So you're going to get to 18 months and people are going to start talking about the player going on a free transfer.You're going to get to the end of the year and you're going to get a Trent Alexander -Arnold situation.So what does a club do?Does it do to some extent what Palace did and take a punt, turn down Newcastle's £65m bid on Mark Gehy and try and win something like the FA Cup and the European Conference League and allow the player to go for £20m in the January transfer window and get lucky to get a dime out of it?Or do you take a view and say, right, not ideal, we're not winning the way I want us to do so we're going to lose our player, so we take the situation, we control the situation,process we get as much money from it as we possibly can and we rebuild yeah so in this instance i don't blame the player the player's got you don't blame the player the player's not duty bound to sign a new contract the only time you will hear me turn around and say something about this player is if he goes i'm not playing for you If he turns around and does like he does last summer, which is, I'm downing tools, I'm not trying to complain to you, then he's out of order.

Well, I would have thought Newcastle fans will be up in arms if that happens.Scott's a big Newcastle fan.Scott, good afternoon.Where are you with all of this?

Hiya, Jim.Hiya, Simon.

You all right?Good, thanks, Scott.What about Bruno?What are you thinking?

Oh, I'm a bit gutted, Jim, to be fair.I'm a lifelong Newcastle fan.I live a stone's throw from the trailing ground.And I'm a big Newcastle fan.He's the heartbeat of the team, you know what I mean?Yeah, like he sacks are the last year was it a complete joke?

I don't blame Gordon going because he was gonna turn down Barcelona and Sandra was just gone to London for the money I forgot about Sandro, yeah you're right Scott.

So what direction is the club going in Scott?

So I don't know and I'd like to ask Simon about this.Simon you know you're always going about the Saudis losing interest because they can't buy football.I'm a massive fan of yours Simon, love the boxing podcast as well by the way.Do you know I think like five years down the line they should have built a new ground, they should have built a new training ground.

Yeah great, there's no debate here.Because ultimately, these are not expenditure items that can be held against you for PSR.So building a new stadium is capital expenditure.Building a new training complex is capital expenditure.These guys have got more money than you could ever imagine.So the appetite for it doesn't seem to be there, because they haven't challenged the authorities and pushed back against the constrictions put on them.

They haven't made themselves a nuisance and really pushed the envelope.And they aren't seeming to invest in the infrastructure.And I know it's not just a case of, oh, hang on a second, just throw up a stadium.But when Inter Miami wanted to build a stadium,they just built one so you've got a situation with Newcastle where I don't think I don't think they're going to just destroy the football club by having no interest I just don't think they're going to be what you guys thought they were going to be.No they're not Simon and the initial buzz of getting Mike Ashley out you know and everything's been great for four years but the thing is Simon I think if we just and I'm not saying you should be madman and go around but there's no challenging of the author, there's no pushing, Aston Villa have pushed a little bit and they've done deals and found their way through UEFA bands and done a deal around SCR and done this and done that, you've not pushed the envelope, you haven't done any of that, you've not been a pain, you've not been your ownership and to be honest with you owners have to be a pain sometimes with the authorities to get what they want and it just appears If a Middle Eastern group that really like to have their own way in the world, and you see it in other sports, they've been incredibly compliant.

Yes, yes.Scott, we like your call.Thank you, mate.Andy, another big Newcastle fan.Where are you at with this, Andy?Good afternoon.

Afternoon, boys, as always.Yeah, good, thank you, mate.What about Bruno?I think he'll be a massive miss if he goes, but we can't afford another Isaac situation.The blame the whole of last season on Isaac going and the prolonged transfer.So the club and everyone blamed that situation on us having a terrible season so we can't afford another one of them.

But I just want to go back to the last season when I spoke to you and I told you and Simon that there was a feeling with me and with a few people in the club that the Saudis had abandoned us and we were sort of rudderless and that was the back end of last season.So this isn't new, this has been coming and building for a long time.

Right, rudderless.I get what Andy's saying, I remember that call actually.

Well I don't know whether they're rudderless, but what they aren'tis inspired by a deluge of Saudi ambition.

But why are Andy and Scott witnessing Simon?East out when?Gordon's gone.

But that's the tragedy of reaching for the stars and having a little bit of success and having good players amongst you that do it.Now what you do with the recruitment there and afterwards is up to you.It was their decision to buy Voldemort.It wasn't anyone else's decision.It might have been late in the day.And Karl -Heinz Rummenigge made a sneering comment about how much they paid for him, but he still wanted to sign him just at a different price.

I mean, give me areas.I mean, the one I would, if I was Newcastle fans, I'd be up in arms about Tonelli.I mean, didn't you get banned?didn't you leave the club in lurch because of your behaviour and all of a sudden you're first out the door?

Well I agree with you, I mean Dave is a big Newcastle fan, are you up in arms about Tonali and the situation in regards to Tonali Dave?

Absolutely, look there's a product there and the product is Bruno, Bruno doesn't want to play for us anymore, goodbye.I might be one of the individuals that think that.Get rid of him.But Tonali has upset me more than anything else.The guy was banned for seven to nine months.He gave us a good season, the season after.

He was pretty mediocre last season.He was pretty poor.And I think he owed us another season, to tell the truth.And you know, all right, you're doubling his money.Fair enough.He's on 140, he's on 280 now.

You know, nobody's going to turn that down.But if Bruno wants to go, Bruno goes with my blessing.The guy won us a cup for the first time in 70 years.Simple as that.I love the guy, but I don't want to see him go missing.

So overall though Dave, when you look at the picture, you take a step back and you look at the picture.Isak went, Tonali's gone, Gordon has gone, Bruno is about to go.It would seem, if you have a message for the Newcastle hierarchy, what is it Dave?

We need to bring somebody in who's sort of established.We need to bring a 25, 26 -year -old decent midfielder.Unfortunately, we're not going to do that.Eddie's bringing these guys in.players through, or he isn't bringing the young players.We've got Cordova, who's been another season at Cadiz, right?

We've got young Alfie Harrison, who came in, best thing since sliced bread, he's gone, right?We've brought this young kid in today, this young Ajax kid, will he go into the, into what he calls You're right.Sure, yeah.We've got this guy who's come in from the World Cup, the 20 -year -old, and I think we've got, is it Hoffenheim, or hold now for more money for this other guy?

Okay.

You know, and it's not good enough.It's not good enough.We need to be putting money into the club.I mean, there's one good thing about this, we could be sudden landing.

Okay, Dave, listen, thanks for the call.I like his parting shot.But Simon, are Newcastle fans right to be concerned?

But what's concerned, you know, obviously they can look back to the years of Mike Ashley who they took great exception to.I happen to think that Mike ran the football club in a relatively pragmatic way.I understand that they don't like it and I understand that he said certain things on the London Mafia, whether it was Tony Jimenez or whether it was Dennis Wise or whoever it was, alienated themselves.You can't deny that the progress for Newcastle United has been quite remarkable.They've won the League Cup, they've been in the Champions League twice.What they couldn't do was what Man City and Chelsea were able to do.

They couldn't turn that into real success because they haven't been allowed to because they cannot continue to spend money if they were able to spend money uh the way that manchester city had been when 2008 came around and when chelsea did when the brambridge came 2003 right newcastle may be sitting with the same level of opportunity for achievement that Man City did when they won the league for the first time around in 2011.So it took them three years after the Saudis came in, or sorry, the Abu Dhabi came in, and it took them three years.Newcastle haven't had that.Man City just went spend, spend, spend, spend, spend, spend.

So what we're looking at here, Saudis, yeah, right club, wrong time.

Um, yes, probably.I mean, Newcastle, as far as a football club,is concerned, as far as its indigenous fan base, is wonderful.It's worldwide footprint, not particularly significant.Then again, neither was Manchester City's until, you know, Tijuan Archer came along, he was booted out, was corrupt and whatever else.You brought the Abu Dhabi guys in and they built it, but you brought Abramovich in in 2003, Chelsea wasn't, you know, a club, they were already doing relatively well, but they were able to buy success.

I know I'm overrunning, look, I'm overrunning, they're getting perplexed about the break, but we'll get to it.69 .3 million for Gordon, 100 million for Tonali, if they get 60, say 65 for Bruno.

then all of a sudden the dynamic changes in favour of Newcastle, doesn't it?But when you're rebuilding and you're having to rebuild massive parts of the team, you've lost your best player to centre forward, you're now losing the component parts of your midfield, your wingers, you're losing all the best players in the team and you're having to start from scratch again.Eddie's got to work with those people, and whilst I think he can work with them quickly, and my message would always be managers have got to work quickly, to build a team, to build a unit, does take a bit of time.So with that in mind, if he's taken out all of the cornerstones of his team, then... all the value in his team, attacking midfield players, you're going to find yourself in a situation where you're starting from two steps back to get one step forward.

Right.OK, Newcastle fans, we're with you.We hear you.It's Jim White and it's Simon Jordan.We're live in Talksport in partnership with Toolstation.First stop, Toolstation.