Signed for free, now worth £9m: Ashley sealed his final NUFC gift in £35k-p/w "dream" - opinion

When Newcastle United sealed the signing of Ryan Fraser on a free transfer from Bournemouth back in the summer of 2020, it was no surprise to see then manager Steve Bruce wax lyrical about his latest acquisition.

After seeing him put pen to paper on a five-year deal at St James’ Park, Bruce said: “I’m delighted to bring Ryan to Newcastle United. We have held off big competition to get his signature and that says a lot about what this club has to offer.

“His ability and his contributions on the pitch speak for themselves and I’m looking forward to seeing him getting to work in a Newcastle shirt. He has wonderful chemistry on the pitch with Callum Wilson, which excites me, and I hope it excites our supporters ahead of the new season.”

As well as the fact it cost Mike Ashley absolutely nothing in terms of a transfer fee to sign him, Fraser came with the experience of shining in the Premier League and also striking up a great relationship with the Magpies’ other new arrival at the time, Callum Wilson.

In his real standout campaign with Bournemouth back in 2018/19, Fraser racked up seven goals and a whopping 14 assists, proving that he could perform at Premier League level when he’s on song.

His former Bournemouth teammate Eunan O’Kane said: “Ryan has got the world at his feet. He has taken him time to settle, but he has learnt a lot in the six months he has been here. For me he is a dream. I just give him the ball and stand behind him and let him do what he does. He is an outlet and can run with the ball and gives us a different option.”

Meanwhile, former Celtic ace Charlie Nicholas added: “What I like is that he is a little pocket dynamo. He is quite an old-fashioned type of player – what we used to call a tanner ba’ – from