Newcastle now reported to be looking at going for Alfred Finnbogason on deadline day.

Loaning players isn’t necessarily a disaster but if you are doing it as an alternative to building your team/club long-term then you are just storing up troubles for tomorrow.

Claims of ‘five year plans’ at St.James’ Park are now sounding very hollow, if indeed they ever sounded anything other than that.

However, it does raise the possibility that the club were trying to make loan deals with a view to making permanent in January when the Newcastle owner may have an amount of money budgeted to be available…or next summer!