Joe Pearson

Manzambi's not a hijack. He's another invoice, same as Bruno. Let's be accurate about what actually happened, because "Villa nicked him" lets everyone off the hook. The fee was agreed. €60m, done, Freiburg happy, contract prepared. The money was never the issue. The player looked at Champions League football at Villa Park and no football of any kind in Europe at ours, and he chose accordingly. It's Munoz, who picked Liverpool's Europe over ours a few weeks back. It's Bruno, who wants out for the same reason in reverse. Three different sagas, one cause. We keep talking about hijacks like they're bad luck or bad admin. They're neither. They're the going rate for finishing 12th. And that's actually the strangely hopeful bit. This isn't a club that's broken at buying. The scouting is identifying the right players (everyone wants OUR targets). The negotiating is agreeing fees in days. Touré chose us. Every part of the machine works except the shop window, and the shop window gets fixed one way: results. Fix the football and the hijacks stop. Don't, and no sporting director on earth can sell what we couldn't show Manzambi. 12th place was never going to be a one-summer bill. We're paying it in instalments. 🖤🤍 #NUFC #Manzambi