Newcastle United are reportedly in talks to make Philippe Coutinho their first big-name signing following their £305 million takeover.
On Thursday, thousands of Toon fans gathered outside St James' Park to celebrate Mike Ashley's sale of the club to a consortium backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
With fresh funds which puts them among the world's richest football clubs, looks set to bring some very interesting and ambitious activity in the transfer market from Newcastle.
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And according to SPORT, talks have already been held with the representatives of Barcelona midfielder Coutinho in the summer.
The takeover's completion was delayed and so a deal never happened but the former Liverpool man is said to be open to a return to the Premier League.
Although his stock has dropped in recent years, the capture of Coutinho would be a huge statement of intent from Newcastle's owners as they look to take the new club to new heights.
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Barcelona made him their record signing in January 2018 when they snapped him up from Liverpool in a £142 million deal.
His current value, in Barca's view, is said to be around £42.4 million.
The Brazilian international was very much available for transfer in the summer window but ended up staying put, starting three games for the struggling Blaugrana in La Liga so far this term.
British businesswoman Amanda Staveley, who led the consortium after pushing to purchase Newcastle for quite some time, has already talked about the possibility of strengthening the squad.
"We’ve got a great squad," the 48-year-old told Sky Sports.
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"I had a great chat with Jamaal [Lascelles] tonight as captain. We’re really excited about strengthening the squad, but we have to work within Financial Fair Play and make sure this is done over a longer term.
"But you can know and be reassured that we want to invest at every level. We want to get the best squad we possibly can.
"Everybody talks about it [big signings] but what you need is a team that works well together. That’s also just as important."
In a separate interview, Staveley also talked up aspirations to win the Premier League within ten years - while chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan has promised ambition.
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Manager Steve Bruce's future is up in the air following the change in ownership, with former Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte believed to be the club's preferred No.1 choice.
Featured Image Credit: Image: PATopics: Newcastle United, Philippe Coutinho, Premier League
