North-East is a hard sell
London, says Pedro, was just one of the many, now famous reasons he moved to Chelsea ahead of Manchester United. You can see his point. Unless you really know your way around, it's difficult to rival the sheer volume of activities, sights and hidden delights the capital has to offer.
Manchester is a wonderful city. It's the one I tend to spend a lot of my time in, and it has a vibrant mix of culture, history and activities to satisfy any palate.
The problem is most foreign players, who think of England as a relatively small outpost on the coast of mainland Europe, love the idea of playing in London. They want to bring their families to where they think it is happening. A place where they are a stroll from Starbucks and a saunter from the Shard.
Geography makes it a little harder when recruiting personnel for Manchester United, but nothing their history and prestige can't take care of. For City, there will need to be a little more remuneration or a sales pitch about the future of the project, similarly with Liverpool.
Everyone else has to rely on fantastic negotiations, and hope the player they are wooing is in it for the right reasons. However, make no bones about it, a player offered a choice to play at Watford or Crystal Palace this season or Newcastle United or Sunderland is more often than not staying South.
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This is a worrying trend that could see both clubs on a slippery slope. The North-East is already a tough sell. The old powerhouses are being jilted by the attraction of the capital to playing staff and the owners need to wise up, quick.
Yohan Cabaye chose Palace over a return to Newcastle, where he is revered. Think about that. Jermain Defoe spent the summer angling for an exit from Sunderland just six months after signing!
If they aren't careful it will only get worse. Gone are the days when Newcastle were known across the continent for Sir Bobby Robson, Faustino Asprilla and Kevin Keegan, and let's be clear - Sunderland's recruitment tells you how tricky it already is to lure to the land of the Mackem.
All Premier League clubs can pay decent wages that equal almost what every club in Spain and Germany (barring the obvious) can offer. And, all 20 Premier League clubs thanks to the new TV deal can have ambition.
Newcastle and Sunderland are miles away from anywhere. The fact that they are both miles away from everybody else in the league on the pitch too is not going to help. What happens if Brentford, Charlton Athletic or Fulham gain promotion? Another London club recruiting from the pool the Red and Whites and Black and Whites are fishing in.
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To get players to the North-East, Mike Ashley and Ellis Short need to be strategic and they need to speculate. They are going to have to thrust their tight hands into their pockets and start shelling out some serious dollar, because if there is one thing that will bend the ear of a potential arrival, it's offering more money than anyone else. Remember Middlesbrough in the 90s? These two stalwarts of the Premier League need to get real.
Newcastle and Sunderland have suffered a little bit of this for years, but it's only going to get more stark if they tumble down the divisions. You can't expect a young man from Paris to know that Northumberland and Durham are beautiful, and Newcastle with its attractions and heritage, is a fantastic city.
There are escapes, and including them in a sales pitch is vital. Newcastle in particular is a bit like Munich in that it is a big city living in a village. Most players don't like the goldfish bowl, one that can be difficult in positive moments let alone when you are up the proverbial creek without a paddle.
The final ingredient is to have a positive outlook. A target, a challenge, whatever that might be because most players want to win something. "Staying in the division" shouldn't be viewed as an achievement for historic and iconic clubs like Newcastle and Sunderland.
If they want to survive in the long term the owners of Newcastle and Sunderland have to act now. Recruit better players, develop better players and don't worry about the cost.
The prospect of trundling down the Football League would be a lot more expensive for everyone, and it's not as outlandish as you'd think.
Arsene's arguments show the Gunners are still not complete
Diego Costa is a nightmare, but this isn't a new development. Jose Mourinho is a wind-up merchant with a particular urge to irk Arsenal, but this isn't a new development. Anyone who watched Chelsea's pre-season would have seen Kurt Zouma is a danger from set pieces, that too is not a new development.
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So whatever the rights and wrongs of Saturday's slapfest, Arsenal should have been prepared. They weren't. They never are. That is why, despite having a hugely talented squad, they will not win the Premier League.
Kane willing...but able?
Harry Kane has scored two goals in his last 14 Premier League games and after a purple patch of 17 in his previous 15, it's affecting him.
Still without a goal this season he looked hesitant and rushed in equal measure on Sunday against Palace.
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There was a visible moment when hunting down an Alex McCarthy parry that you could see his brain ticking. Kane is thinking about it all too much. A lot of strikers thrive on instinct, and Harry is much better when he just plays with freedom.
He needs to clear his mind and the goals will come.
Absolute genius
Hats off to Absolute Radio. This weekend with the sterling John Champion on Rugby World Cup duty, the powers that be brought in Barry Davies as their stand-in commentator.
The man is a legend and always one I admired growing up. His voice was regal and he was always in command. It was great to hear him on the radio for the first time since the 1960s!
Sam Matterface will be at St James Park this Saturday for talkSPORT's live commentary of Newcastle vs. Chelsea.
