The actual signing was done the week after Bruce joined. Apparently it was a huge bone of contention between Ashley and Rafa with Rafa refusing to have the signing of Joelinton imposed on him. It sounds like it was a deal done by the club, probably with only the tacit approval of Bruce, presumably because he either didn't want to rock the boat so early in his tenure or thought he might as well accept as he wouldn't be getting much else.
Yeah, I mean, anyone who's just gotten a new job knows the feeling of nodding along to whatever your new boss says. He couldn't possibly have said no.
