Tony Jiminez has refuted Kevin Keegan's claim that he prevented Luka Modric's transfer to Newcastle and has stated that owner Mike Ashley stopped the deal.
Former Newcastle manager Keegan had claimed that Jiminez prevented Modric's transfer to St James' Park due to concerns over the Croatian's ability to cope with the physical nature of the Premier League.
However, Jiminez claims it was owner Mike Ashley who had reservations over the transfer and therefore withdrew from the £18m deal. Speaking to the Times, the businessman said: "We flew Modric over to Newcastle, got him to the training ground.