Lord Tony Smith wrote:Sure, but wouldn't this knee problem have been identified during his medical at Newcastle given that it was a recurring one? In that case, Pulis passed and turned him down whilst Pardew didn't and accepted, no?
Stoke would have been buying him for over £7m.
Newcastle signed him on a free.
Stoke simply got unlucky because a quality player they were signing happened to have a worrying medical. Newcastle got lucky because they were able to snag that player on a free.
If Pardew had swooped in and paid the £7m when the Stoke deal collapsed then you may have a point. As he didn't, you don't.