Tuesday 5 August 2014 12:25, UK
Nottingham Forest manager Stuart Pearce has aired his disappointment at the sanctioning of a deal involving Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow.
Sky Sports revealed earlier on Monday that Newcastle United have agreed a package worth over £5million for Lascelles and Darlow, with the duo set to be loaned back to their current employers once an agreement is pushed through.
Pearce, though, claims to have been kept in the dark during discussions to take the pair to St James’ Park, with the former England U21 coach regularly expressing a desire to keep key men at the City Ground.
The figures that were mentioned, by the representative of our club – I said I would not do that deal, when I was asked the question.
He has been eager to point out that he would only consider offers if he considered them to be of benefit to Forest and would allow him to dip back into the transfer market and bring in cover of a similar standard.
Pearce feels the terms tabled by Newcastle should have been knocked back and has been left frustrated at seeing his authority on the playing side at Forest undermined.
He said in the Evening Post: “We had an offer from Newcastle, that I was made aware of last week, in regards to the two players going there.
“The figures that were mentioned, by the representative of our club – I said I would not do that deal, when I was asked the question.
“I thought I could push their value up and that they would be worth more in the long run.
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“The first I heard today about things was when Jamaal Lascelles came in and told me that he had a medical at 2pm at Newcastle.
“That disappointed me greatly.”
Pearce insists that his relationship with owner Fawaz Al Hasawi remains a healthy one, despite the breakdown in communication, but believes a mistake has been made in accepting a bid for two players of huge promise at this stage of their career.
He added: “I think I have a good relationship with the club.
“But obviously, for whatever reason, they have decided to take the money on this situation.
“I do not agree with it. But the only olive branch I have got is that the boys are both coming back on a year loan, which is a bonus.
“But I felt that, if they stayed at the club, they would only have increased in value.”
