Former Newcastle United chief scout Graham Carr has lifted the lid on owner Mike Ashley's transfer policy.
Carr revealed how Ashley regarded squad building in conversation with the Daily Mail.
"I learned you had to be positive with Mike, convince him. One of my first dealings with him, I was in North Shields with my wife and was told to be ready for a conference call," said Carr.
"I panicked, I'd never been on one, I was driving around the coast charging my phone! We started talking about Ben Arfa. Mike had this thing with a 4-4-2, first-team players on £40k a week and understudies on £20k.
"He couldn't understand why we'd want Hatem and Jonas Gutierrez, two left wingers, on £40k. I knew Hatem could be brilliant, so I cut in, 'He's a No 10, actually, and he can cut in from the right'. That was it, done.
"But he had this plan — buy them younger than 25, with sell-on value. If I asked him to spend £10m on a 29-year-old, he'd f***ing laugh at me. Over time, that plan hasn't worked. But I do believe that he meant well."
