Newcastle in "serious talks" for £15m Wijnaldum

It has been a long, arduous journey through the summer transfer window to this point for supporters of Newcastle United.  We have been forced to dig through rumors and innuendo more than most clubs and more than normal for our own club.  All of that may be coming to a close (finally!) as the club are preparing to head to the United States for their preseason tour.  Already having missed out on early preseason training, having transfers "over the line" before heading out to the US would be vital to integrating players into the squad... it's only logical.  The club rarely operates within the mortal confines of logic, however, so we launch into this having taken a deep breath.

Reports in Holland have suggested that Newcastle have finally tabled a concrete offer for Most Frequent Rumor Giorginio Wijnaldum.  This much is clear.  Past this, the waters get a little murky.  Most reports suggest that PSV and NUFC have agreed a transfer fee and the player is prepared to meet with Newcastle to discuss personal terms.  There are some suggestions out there that a fee has not been agreed between the two clubs, but we do know that Lee Charnley has traveled to Holland to have "serious talks" with the Dutch club.  This seems to suggest that the positive reports are more likely than the negative, but ultimately we will only know exactly when the club wants us to know and not a second before.  Unless Wijnaldum has a sister who is on Instagram.

The fee most frequently being reported with regard to the Wijnaldum transfer is £15m (apparently 15 million pound wingers are a "thing" now) or the same money that the club put out for Alan Shearer when they brought him home.  Of course, that was nearly 20 years ago, so maybe pushing close to the club record transfer fee (Michael Owen at £16m from Real Madrid) indicates that the club are coming to terms with the cost of doing business in the modern Premier League.  Most other evidence over a period of years would seem to indicate otherwise, but if the club does close the deal for Wijnaldum at the price being quoted it may be the best indicator to this point that maybe, just maybe, Mike Ashley wasn't blowing smoke with that interview prior to the West Ham match on the last day of last season.