Perhaps in a sign of what’s to come at St. James’ Park in the near future, the potential new owners of Newcastle United have opened talks with one of Barcelona’s world stars.
Philippe Coutinho doesn’t appear to have a future at the Camp Nou, and after Bayern Munich decided not to activate their €120m purchase clause on the player once his season-long loan had concluded, it meant the Brazilian would need to look for a new club.
According to France Football, any purchase of the player is, of course, dependant on the successful takeover of the Magpies by the Saudi Arabia Wealth Fund, but the outlet also note that Coutinho and his representatives believe in the new project, should a deal conclude successfully, and the chance for the player to be a part of it.
When Coutinho left Liverpool to become Barcelona’s most expensive ever signing at €160m, he was one of the finest players of his type in the Premier League.
However, a loss of form and a backlash from the Catalans’ hard-to-please fan base has left him with little choice but to seek his fortune elsewhere.
Should Newcastle manage to acquire his services, it would be a real statement of intent from the north-east club, who’ll surely be looking to gain a place amongst the elite as quickly as possible.