Newcastle have reopened talks with Brentford over an improved £40m deal for striker Yoane Wissa.
Following an impasse in talks that has threatened the deal, both clubs are now in direct talks – with Newcastle proposing a £35m initial fee plus a further £5m in add-ons.
The Magpies’ previous bid for the 28-year-old was worth up to £30m.
Sources have told BBC Sport that the latest bid from Newcastle falls below Brentford’s valuation of Wissa.
It is understood Wissa held talks with Brentford’s owner Matthew Benham on Tuesday, a development that prompted today’s discussions.
Earlier this week, Wissa removed all association with Brentford from his Instagram account as his future took a fresh twist.
BBC Sport were first to reveal that Wissa had flown home early from their pre-season camp in Portugal in July after which he threatened not to play or train for the club again if they did not sanction his protracted move to St James’ Park.
Since then there had been a slight thawing of relations resulting in Wissa returning to first-team training while continuing to make absolutely clear he wanted to join Newcastle.
Wissa believed that Brentford would sanction his transfer north once they signed his replacement.
Indeed, Wissa has been expecting for Brentford to agree his move to Tyneside this week after the west London side completed the signing of Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth.
Newcastle have reopened talks with Brentford over an improved £40m deal for striker Yoane Wissa.
Following an impasse in talks that has threatened the deal, both clubs are now in direct talks – with Newcastle proposing a £35m initial fee plus a further £5m in add-ons.
The Magpies’ previous bid for the 28-year-old was worth up to £30m.
Sources have told BBC Sport that the latest bid from Newcastle falls below Brentford’s valuation of Wissa.
It is understood Wissa held talks with Brentford’s owner Matthew Benham on Tuesday, a development that prompted today’s discussions.
Earlier this week, Wissa removed all association with Brentford from his Instagram account as his future took a fresh twist.
BBC Sport were first to reveal that Wissa had flown home early from their pre-season camp in Portugal in July after which he threatened not to play or train for the club again if they did not sanction his protracted move to St James’ Park.
Since then there had been a slight thawing of relations resulting in Wissa returning to first-team training while continuing to make absolutely clear he wanted to join Newcastle.
Wissa believed that Brentford would sanction his transfer north once they signed his replacement.
Indeed, Wissa has been expecting for Brentford to agree his move to Tyneside this week after the west London side completed the signing of Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth.
He was once a national treasure with one of the most recognisable faces in the UK – now Huw Edwards lives a very different life away from the spotlight
A row has erupted over the disgraced star paying back BBC earnings(Image: / SplashNews.com)
Disgraced BBC newsreader Huw Edwards narrowly avoided jail for making indecent images of children, with his personal and professional lives falling apart in the process.
Edwards, 64, was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after he pled guilty to making seven Category A indecent images of children – the worst type – as well as 12 Category B, and 22 Category C images at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in September 2024.
On his birthday earlier this week, the star looked very different as he was seenclutching three mini bottles of prosecco, his grey stubble a stark contrast to the formerly clean-cut broadcaster known to millions around the UK. Edwards was pictured returning to his car after a brief shopping outing in Swansea, Wales.
READ MORE: BBC staff left ‘raging’ as Huw Edwards keeps hold of £200k salary amid job losses
Edwards was the nation’s top newsreader at the height of his fame(Image: BBC)
The presenter was earning more than £475,000 at the BBC as the anchor of News At Ten in November 2023, when disturbing reports emerged that a high-profile, unnamed BBC presenter paid tens of thousands of pounds for explicit photos.
A mother claimed this went on from 2020, when their child was 17, for three years, which funded their child’s drug habit. He was suspended from the BBC at the time.
Article continues below
The TV star was arrested later that year regarding a separate investigation. Edwards’ phone was seized which revealed his participation in Whats App exchanges with convicted paedophile Alex Williams, who between the years 2018 and 2021 sent him indecent images of children, including two videos of a boy believed to be between the ages of seven and nine years old.
The star’s wife of 30 years Vicky Flind released a statement following the original allegation saying her husband was “suffering from serious mental health issues” and receiving in-patient care.
But as other accusations came to light, Vicky is said to have launched proceedings to end their marriage, with their £4.75 million home in Dulwich, South London, put up for sale.
A source told The Sun:”Vicky had enough of Edwards a long time ago but this is the final nail in the coffin of their relationship. He’s put her and their family through hell, so this was inevitable.”
Edwards continued to sport his wedding ring during his court case but the former couple are said to only communicate through their lawyers nowadays. Professionally, the broadcaster’s life has also crumbled.
Images from earlier this year showed Edwards frowning as he puffed on a vape. Speaking to the publication, an onlooker said: “He looked a shadow of his former, super-confident self — but there was no mistaking it was him.
“He was vaping and coughing and spluttering a bit, and didn’t look in the best shape. But he was lucky to be enjoying his freedom when most people think he should have been jailed for what he did.”
The disgraced star had been the corporation’s top-earning newsreader, earning between £475,000 and £479,999 in the year 2023/24 when he was arrested.
He continued to be paid by the BBC until he resigned five months later and it appears he hasn’t repaid the £200,000 he earned during that period as requested by the broadcaster.
The disgraced star looks drastically different from his clean-cut newsreader days(Image: / SplashNews.com)
BBC Chairman Samir Shah recently told Times Radio: “We’ve been asking him and asking him and asking him. We’re getting legal advice on it”, adding: “If Huw is listening, give it back. Just give it back”.
Edwards was estimated to be worth as much as £3.8 million at his peak, with lucrative book and documentary deals and gigs presenting top awards shows topping up his BBC salary.
Article continues below
As Judge Paul Goldspring told the celebrity at his sentencing: “It is not an exaggeration to say your long-earned reputation is in tatters.”
Speaking at the Royal Television Society (RTS) London conference the month the broadcaster was convicted, BBC director-general Tim Davie stated that he “can’t see” Edwards working for the corporation ever again.
The Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler and Dryer is the latest version of the viral hair tool, and it’s currently on sale for 25% off on Amazon, saving customers a huge £120
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
The Dyson Airwrap is now £120 off at Amazon and one shopper said their hair looks ‘better than ever’ with the styling tool
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have heard of the Dyson Airwrap. The viral hair styler was on nearly every Christmas wishlist last year. However, with a hefty price tag nearing £500, it’s safe to say that this product is an investment. But Amazon shoppers are in luck, as the latest model of the viral styler is now a whopping £120 off.
The Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler and Dryer usually sells on Amazon for £479.99, but customers can currently grab one at a 25 per cent discount for £359.99, saving them £120. The new Airwrap i.d. is the latest version of the Dyson product, boasting several technological advancements to protect the hair while styling it effortlessly, reports the Daily Record.
With six different attachments, the heated gadget can style the hair in a variety of ways using just one device. The curling attachments claim to adapt heat, airflow and timings to the user’s hair type for faster and easier styling. It comes with a large volume-boosting brush that creates endless blow-out styles, as well as a smaller barrel for tighter curls and Bluetooth technology that connects to the Dyson App.
Its multidirectional barrel can also wave and curl in both directions for unlimited styling possibilities. Those browsing alternative hair stylers may opt for the original Dyson Airwrap Origin for £399.99 on Argos.
Beauty fans on a tighter budget may prefer the Shark FlexStyle 4-in-1 Multi-Styler and Hair Dryer for £199.99, also on Argos. However, customers are raving about the latest version of the Airwrap on Amazon, which has earned an impressive 4.3-star rating out of five.
One thrilled shopper said: “The Dyson Airwrap took me a little time to figure out (thank you, TikTok tutorials!), but once I got the hang of it, I was hooked. This tool gives me that voluminous, bouncy hair – think Farrah Fawcett vibes – that I could never quite achieve with traditional curlers or blow dryers.
Upgrade your hair routine
£480
£360
Buy Now on Amazon
“I love that it comes with so many different attachments, giving you tons of styling options in one tool. I’ve definitely noticed that the smaller curler holds the curls much better than the larger one, especially if you want that all-day look.
“It’s definitely an investment, but one that’s 100 per cent worth it. I’ve cut down my hair routine by a solid 30 minutes, and my hair looks better than ever.”
Yet a less impressed shopper said: “Honestly, I am very disappointed. I purchased this on June 17th, and it’s now August 8, and it does not work!
“I will turn it on and it randomly shuts right off and then goes back on. It’s so annoying and I can’t do anything with it without shutting off. I paid so much for this to only work for a month.”
Katie Price’s former home, her Mucky Mansion, has finally been sold to a furniture tycoon for a hefty price tag – despite her claims that the property is ‘cursed’
Daniel Bird Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor
Mucky Mansion is no longer on the market
Katie Price’s Mucky Mansion has finally been sold for a very large price. The home, which Katie purchased in 2014 for a whopping £2million, was her home until she was forced to leave it due to mounting debts, meaning she hadn’t been able to pay the mortgage on the property.
But while the house has sold, Katie won’t see a single penny from it due to the cash from the sale being used to clear her debts. And while Katie has said the house is “cursed” after suffering break-ins, reports of seeing ghosts and her pets dying at the property, that hasn’t put the new owner off.
Furniture tycoon and divorced dad-of-two James Mercer, 62, from Northern Ireland, bought the house in January, months after Price was evicted by bailiffs because she hadn’t been able to pay the mortgage.
READ MORE: Katie Price and Alex Reid’s brutal break-up as he wages war against ‘fame seeker’READ MORE: Katie Price reveals only man she’s ever truly loved – and it’s none of her husbands
Mucky Mansion has finally been sold(Image: n.c)
According to reports, Mr Mercer is planning to have extensive work done on the home to make it fit for a person to live in. Mercer’s partner, Leike Qu, with whom he co-owns Mucky Mansion, has said they fell in love with the home that has been at the centre of a media storm for years.
“We are just very ordinary and quiet people who fell in love with this country house,” Ms Qu told The MailOnline. The couple, who spent £1million on the freehold, are also said to have put aside a huge sum of money in order to repair Mucky Mansion.
Article continues below
They paid less than the £1.35 million Mucky Mansion had been listed for. Katie was forced to slash the price after struggling to find a buyer due to the property’s state, which included the kitchen ceiling caving in. There had also been concerns that the land could have been contaminated with waste, while the water in the swimming pool had turned green.
Businessman James Mercer has snapped up the property
Cleaners had been hauled in to clear huge piles of rubbish left behind before it was listed by local estate agents, HJ Burt. Shortly after leaving the home, Katie hit out and issued a warning to the new residents of the sprawling property.
She said: “I hate that house. Whoever buys it, I warn them, they will get bad luck there. It is absolutely cursed. My anxiety got worse with that house. There was a point when I couldn’t even walk up the driveway without having a panic attack. I had therapy about the house. I should never have gone back there. Now I’m out of it, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Price had also claimed the home was haunted by the spirit of a small child. The home, made up of nine bedrooms, three reception rooms, four bath/shower rooms and a one-bedroom annexe, also comes with expansive grounds and its own personal stables.
Katie previously claimed the nine-bedroom property was ‘cursed’(Image: Channel 4)
Her eldest daughter, Princess Andre, has also spoken of her time in the house and admitted she didn’t have too many positive memories from her time there. “It was a really scary house,” she commented.
The influencer continued: “A lot went on there. So I didn’t really like it. I guess when you have bad experiences somewhere, you don’t like the place.”
Mucky Mansion, which is near Horsham, West Sussex, became the subject of a Channel 4 documentary when Katie attempted to bring life back into the property for the last time. Bailiffs, though, reportedly turned up at the 11-bedroom property in June 2024 to take back the keys, around 10 years after the TV personality bought the large home.
Article continues below
The latest news comes after Katie came under fire after her ex-husband, Alex Reid, shared a video of her counting huge sums of cash, despite being declared bankrupt. In the video, believed to have been filmed in late 2020, she told her daughter Princess that she had extended her bankruptcy as Alex had demanded cash, before her daughter called him “irrelevant.”
Fabian Edwards leans back in his chair and laughs when he thinks of his very first fight as an amateur in 2015.
“I’m in the back getting warmed up and I’m told my opponent is on the motorway, he’s on his way,” Edwards tells BBC Sport.
“When the time comes for me to make the walk, I got in the cage and I’m like, ‘Who’s this’? There’s a random person in the cage – a completely different person.”
Edwards says the opponent he was scheduled to fight that evening in his hometown, Birmingham, did not show up so the promoters found a replacement on the night.
Edwards only found out when he stepped in the cage and was faced with someone he did not recognise.
“I looked at my team and they were like, ‘Just carry on’. We touched gloves and unfortunately for him it was over in four seconds,” added Edwards.
Edwards’ story is not too dissimilar to the bedlam and confusion other fighters have experienced at amateur level in MMA.
Bouts are often fought for little to no prize money, with fighters aiming to gain experience and gauge whether they could succeed as a pro.
On Thursday in Hollywood, Florida, Edwards’ amateur career will feel like a lifetime ago when he faces American Dalton Rosta in the final of the PFL’s annual middleweight tournament.
The winner will receive a $500,000 (£369,000) prize.
“I’m not sat here thinking about the money. More so the opportunity is big,” said Edwards, 32.
‘I thought my career would be all highs’
Edwards is looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Briton Alfie Davis, who won the PFL’s lightweight tournament last week.
Despite the contest not yielding an official world title, Edwards says he is treating it like a championship bout.
Edwards has suffered defeat twice before by Johnny Eblen for the Bellator middleweight title in 2023 and 2024, but has rebuilt himself this year with two successive wins.
Edwards laughs jovially when asked if he knew a career in MMA would bring so many highs and lows.
“I thought it would be all highs, especially when I was undefeated for six years or so,” he says.
“But I’ve suffered a few losses now and I understand it’s the game. Even the greats have losses, most of them, so if they can go through it and still go on to become greats and champions, then why can’t we?”
Edwards’ defeat was followed by Leon, 33, losing his title to Belal Muhammad the following year – losses which challenged morale at their gym in Birmingham.
“It did affect it a bit but at the same time, the guys understand it’s the game,” said Edwards.
“What it does show the guys in the gym is I’ve suffered big defeats and I’ve come back.
“And Leon as well – he’s back in the gym, he’s coaching the guys, he’s not hidden away somewhere. It’s showing the guys that life moves on.”
Edwards can sum up how he has learned to bounce back from defeats with one word: “Gratitude.”
“If I lose a massive fight, I look at my overall life and it’s great – I’ve got healthy kids, my family is healthy and I’ve got a lovely home,” said Edwards.
