Journalist Dean Jones has revealed that Eddie Howe refused to take the Newcastle manager's job until his assistant Jason Tindall was happy with the terms he'd been offered.
Howe is in his first week at St James' Park after being officially announced as the club's new boss on Monday.
What happened with Newcastle's manager search?
After parting ways with Steve Bruce on October 20, Newcastle's new owners, headed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), will have likely wanted to find his replacement as quickly as possible, with the team currently involved in a relegation battle.
However, despite being linked with a number of high-profile names including Unai Emery, Paulo Fonseca and Lucien Favre, it took the Premier League outfit almost three weeks to appoint Bruce' successor.
In the end, the Saudi-led consortium settled on Howe, who has arrived on a contract that runs until 2024.
What has Jones said about Howe joining Newcastle?
Newcastle managed to get a deal over the line for Howe, but Jones has hinted that the move could easily have fallen through.
He told GIVEMESPORT: “He had his talks with Newcastle and then Jason Tindall wasn’t satisfied with the terms he was being offered, and Eddie Howe refused to join until he was satisfied, because he’s such a key factor to what you’re going to get.”
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What does this situation say about Howe?
Some fans may not have been convinced by Newcastle appointing Howe, given that the last time he was seen in the Premier League, he was relegated with Bournemouth.
His attitude towards this matter, though, suggests that he knows what he wants and is not going to back down on important issues such as how his backroom staff are treated. This stubbornness should be welcomed by Newcastle's fans, as it gives the impression that he is up for the battle over the coming months, with the Magpies set to be fighting for their top-flight status.
Howe's stance also represents a change compared to his predecessor, Bruce. It seemed when Bruce was in the dugout that he didn't like to ruffle any feathers behind the scenes, and this worked against him as it appeared that Mike Ashley was calling most of the shots.
Now, Howe looks to be stamping his authority early, and sending out a message that he is very serious about succeeding at Newcastle, but is not willing to be messed about in the process.
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