Newcastle United vs North London. That's the battle that looks to be brewing this summer as the transfer window - like us all - hots up.
The Magpies have been rocked over the last few days by the news that their two best midfielders, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, could be heading out the door this summer.
Tonali is wanted by Tottenham Hotspur, who have had a £80million bid rejected by Newcastle, who have also told Arsenal that skipper Guimaraes is not for sale after their verbal bid of £55m.
So just exactly what is going on? Chronicle Live spoke to our counterparts at football.london, Arsenal writer Tom Canton and Spurs expert Alasdair Gold, to get the inside track from the capital as well as giving our own take on the talk from the Tyne.
The Arsenal view
Arsenal have been interested in Bruno Guimaraes for more than half a decade. He was appreciated while in Brazil, subsequently in France but never pulled the trigger.
There were plenty of inaccurate suggestions that Arsenal bid for the midfielder when he moved to Newcastle, but the reality is they held off a meaningful approach, seemingly reluctant to take the step to get the deal done, with lingering questions about whether he was the real deal.
Now 28, the club have been proven wrong for not having committed sooner; there’s no question about that. Whether an early deal would have prevented a move for Declan Rice, who knows, but a move this summer has raised eyebrows.
But Arsenal have interest in many midfield targets, and this feels very much like an Andrea Berta strategy to test the waters. Sandro Tonali’s asking price is simply far too high - not that Arsenal couldn’t afford it, but that it’s difficult to vindicate such a move.
Guimaraes at £55m would have been a steal, and that’s why the suggestion has been knocked back so swiftly. Whether they return remains to be seen, but it would no doubt be a player many see having the potential to help secure back-to-back Premier League titles.
Tom Canton, Arsenal writer
The Spurs view
After such a rotten season Spurs and their owners want to make a statement this summer and they have identified Sandro Tonali as one of the ways of doing that.
Roberto De Zerbi is a big fan of his compatriot and feels like the 26-year-old can be the man that takes his midfield to the next level. I would completely understand Newcastle fans thinking 'why Tottenham?' for Tonali, but Spurs are planning for their two-season pit stop in the lower reaches of the table to be exactly that before returning to the upper levels of the Premier League as they previously were. They can't risk going through that mess again.
De Zerbi would not have leapt off his sun lounger in April, facing the very real threat of relegation, if the project described to him was not an ambitious one.
Spurs have also opened up their wage structure finally which will allow them to compete with others for bigger players but they need to pay what Newcastle deem appropriate for Tonali. Eddie Howe's side have his long contract and the threat of interest from others as a tool to ensure they get fair value for the Italy international.
Tottenham have let such deals slip through their fingers in the past. This will be the biggest test of the new direction the club claim they are taking with football finally being put first.
Alasdair Gold, Spurs writer
The Newcastle view
Simply put, Newcastle can't afford to lose both of their midfield generals this summer, not when they've already sold Anthony Gordon. Nor do they need to - while extra money would come in handy for the rebuild, they are not in financial trouble after banking the thick end of £200m in the last 12 months.
There is a general acceptance behind the scenes that Tonali will go before the window closes, if Newcastle get their £100m asking price. It should be noted that the Magpies have been very clear for weeks now that this is the fee, and they won't budge.
The message around Guimaraes is simple: not for sale. The difference here is that their bargaining position is slightly weaker as the skipper only has two years left on his contract. However, some suggestions are that this is a tactic by his representatives to get the best deal possible on an extension.
Neither player has agitated for a move so far, unlike Isak, with the talk being more agent-driven at the minute. But the last thing they want or need is a saga again after the Alexander Isak situation, so there could be some movement on Tonali in particular over the next fortnight before United report back for pre-season training.