Manchester United favourite Dimitar Berbatov believes Newcastle United could attract high-profile players such as Gareth Bale from Real Madrid, should Mauricio Pochettino become their next manager.
The Magpies are on the verge of a takeover by PCP Capital Partners, who have already agreed on a deal worth £300m with current owner Mike Ashley.
At present, Steve Bruce continues to remain the club’s head coach but there have been many top-class managers including Pochettino, who has been fancied to succeed the 59-year-old in the role.
In his Betfair column, Berbatov said that it would be a ‘great move’ for the Magpies, should they manage to convince Pochettino to take charge of the club.
He added that the Uruguayan’s presence should enhance the club’s prospects of luring elite players to St James’ Park such as Real Madrid’s Bale.
“If the rumours are true, and Newcastle are looking at appointing Mauricio Pochettino, it would be a great move for the team. It will be the first sign from the new owners, to the players they are targeting, that the club means business,” He told
“If you put Pochettino in charge at Newcastle and you go and speak to players, trust me they will pay more attention and take the offer seriously, and I’m talking about big players as well – I know Gareth Bale is among those who have been linked with the club.”
There will definitely be a change in the spending policy with the new ownership, given the board should allocate a bigger transfer kitty for the purchase of new signings.
Still, the Tyneside outfit won’t be able to pay over the odds or make numerous big-name signings at the start, due to the need to satisfy the Financial Fair Play regulations.
As such, the club will need to be smart with the squad rebuild and the focus could lie on targeting elite players, whose contracts are due to expire during the summer.
Edinson Cavani, Willian and Dries Mertens are some of the big-name players, who fall into this category. The trio are still playing at the highest level despite entering the final phase of their respective careers.
Bale, on the other hand, has more than two years remaining on his existing contract at the Bernabeu and the Magpies may potentially need to break their transfer record to lure him.
He would prove a gamble signing for the club, given the form and injury issues, he has experienced over the past few seasons with the Madrid giants.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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