‘Well done Newcastle’: Simon Jordan claims Eddie Howe has signed a ‘stinker’

The frantic energy of transfer deadline day often brings a mix of excitement, relief, and controversy, and for Newcastle United, this year’s finale has been no exception.

While the club successfully navigated the monumental sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool, their search for a replacement has sparked a fierce debate that goes far beyond the football pitch.

The Magpies moved quickly to secure Brentford’s Yoane Wissa in a deal worth £55 million, a signing that should, on paper, bring joy to the fans. Instead, it has drawn sharp criticism from some of the game’s most outspoken pundits.

Most notably, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan did not hold back in his assessment of the deal during a appearance on TalkSport.

In a blunt and headline-grabbing take, Jordan labeled the entire situation as a case of “one stinker goes out, one stinker goes in.” It is crucial to understand that his criticism was not aimed at the players’ footballing ability few would deny Isak’s world-class talent or Wissa’s proven Premier League quality—but squarely at their conduct.

Jordan’s point centers on a perceived hypocrisy. Newcastle United spent weeks frustrated by Alexander Isak’s very public campaign to force a move away from St. James’ Park, which included refusing to play for the team.

Now, in a ironic twist, they have signed a player in Yoane Wissa who employed the exact same tactics to force his exit from Brentford. Wissa publicly released a statement declaring his desire to leave and made it clear he would not play for the Bees again, effectively going on strike to get what he wanted.

For Jordan, this means Newcastle are rewarding the very behavior they just complained about, simply because it now benefits them.

He did, however, concede that from a pure business perspective, Brentford might be the real winners in this deal.

By holding firm and waiting for a desperate club on deadline day, they managed to secure a staggering £55 million fee for a 28-year-old striker—a price many analysts feel is significantly above his true market value.

In Jordan’s view, while the player was focused on his own “fictitious gentleman’s agreement,” his club played the transfer market perfectly and secured a financial windfall.

This entire saga prompted a wider, more philosophical discussion about the modern state of football. Sitting alongside Jordan, Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit reflected on how the meaning of a contract has completely changed since his playing days.

The World Cup winner lamented that “contracts don’t mean anything anymore,” noting they have become “torn paper” in an era where player power often overrides written agreements.

Petit recalled his own experience wanting to leave Barcelona, emphasizing that he never went on strike. Instead, he chose to have an honest, face-to-face conversation with the club’s hierarchy to find a solution that worked for everyone.

His generation, he implied, handled disputes with professionalism and mutual respect, a stark contrast to the public pressure tactics and strikes that have become common today.

For Newcastle and their fans, this moral debate is secondary to the practical need for goals. The club will hope that Wissa quickly justifies his fee on the pitch and helps the team move on from the Isak era.

But this deadline day drama serves as a powerful reminder that in modern football, every major signing comes with not just a financial cost, but an ethical conversation about how business is done.