Newcastle United transfer rumours: Magpies turned down offer to sign Rafa Benitez player, Toon 'very interested' in swoop for Spurs man

It has been claimed that the proposed loan fee stopped a late move for the 23-year-old. However, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan has disputed the reported deal figures on talkSPORT.

“There wasn’t a loan fee,” said Jordan. “The wages weren’t £60,000-a-week. It was even less than that – a lot less than that.

Jordan then claimed that Ashley – who put the club up for sale in late 2017, and is looking to resurrect a proposed £300million sale to a consortium led by financier Amanda Staveley through arbitration – wants the club, hit by the coronavirus pandemic, to be “entirely self-sufficient”.

“You’re moving into a territory where Mike Ashley ... I don’t think he wants to put a penny into Newcastle,” said Jordan. “He wants Newcastle to be entirely self-sufficient.

“Since the pandemic, Newcastle haven’t turned a profit. Steve has moved from a difficult position to an almost untenable one.

“You’ve got to back your manager. Defensively and midfield-wise, they’re lightweight. They haven’t got the legs, they got ripped apart by West Ham, and got overran by Southampton in the second half.”

We’ve gathered the best of today’s Premier League speculation below…