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Steve Bruce Jokes He Was Trying To Sign Neymar

Steve Bruce Jokes He Was Trying To Sign Neymar

Steve Bruce was asked about the potential arrival of Idrissa Gueye but claimed it was actually Neymar they were waiting to hear from.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce has joked that it wasn't Idrissa Gueye he was trying to sign but in fact waiting on Neymar to get back to him.

It's not been the most exciting transfer window in history and it's unlikely Jim White will be getting too excited between now and 11 pm tonight, but at least Bruce has injected some humour into the day.

Newcastle were linked with a move for PSG midfielder Gueye, with reports claiming the midfielder is allowed to leave the French capital on loan.

The reports claimed that the former Everton man had held positive talks with the Premier League side initially but had turned them down.

In his pre match press conference, ahead of Tuesday's game against Crystal Palace, Bruce was asked about the deal but amusingly said he was actually waiting on Neymar.

The Brazilian moved to PSG for a world record £198 million in 2017, though he has been linked with moves away from the club on a regular basis since, with moves back to Barcelona or to their rivals Real Madrid most popular in the rumour mill.

However the former Santos forward has put an end to any speculation about his future, which will come as a big disappointment in the north east of England.

"I'm very happy today. Things have changed a lot, I can't exactly explain why - if it's just me, or something else has changed," the 28-year-old told French television channel TF1.

"I have adapted. I feel calmer and I'm very happy here. I want to stay at PSG and I hope Kylian will stay too. Of course, that's the wish of every PSG supporter... With Kylian, we have a relationship of brothers ... We really like to play together.

"We want PSG to be a great team and I want to continue doing what I've done every day in Paris - play football and be happy. That's the most important thing."

Looks like Neymar will be celebrating his goals in Paris and not Newcastle for a bit longer. Image: PA Images
Looks like Neymar will be celebrating his goals in Paris and not Newcastle for a bit longer. Image: PA Images

Neymar was imploring teammate Kylian Mbappe to stay at the Parc des Princes with him, as rumours about the Frenchman's future are also constantly circling.

The former Monaco forward's contract ends in 18 months so he could negotiate with clubs for a pre contract agreement this time next year.

Bruce could have done with signing Neymar, in the least shocking opinion of all time, with his team generally failing to score enough goals.

His side did surprise Everton at the weekend, winning 2-0 at Goodison Park, to secure their first win in 12 games in all competitions.

The three points leaves them eight points clear of the relegation zone and with no sign of signing one of the world's best players it might have been a very crucial three points.

Featured Image Credit: Football Daily