Why is there a transfer window; who gains from it; and (with Mike Ashley having '£' signs in his eyes) how much does it take for the Toon owner to say "you can have him"?
Alan Pardew: "You're talking about Newcastle United – nothing is certain here.
"We could lose one of our great players, who knows?
"Some of the financial decisions are taken out of my hands.
"I want to strengthen in one or two areas but we'll have to be on our guard against one of our best players going when the window opens.
"You can never think you're OK.
"I learned that in my days at West Ham, but the Andy Carroll thing brought that home more vividly than most things.
"January is a horrible time.
"I don't think there's a Premier League manager, if he was honest with himself, who says he enjoys that period.
"Everyone starts manoeuvring and jostling, people get busy around the players.
"Agents want to earn their money around that period and they don't do themselves any credit in my view. It's horrible.
"I actually preferred the old system, where there was no windows, where you could buy and sell at almost any time.
"I think that's a free market, I think that's how the world works – why are we different? I don't know.
"I think the change to winter and summer windows was trying to take the advantage away from the bigger clubs but I don't think that's worked.
"It unsettles every club – not just me.
"Every manager in the Premier League, no matter where you are, your best player will be being approached.
"And the way the system is – that you can't negotiate directly – means you have to have a middleman."