Newcastle can make Man Utd superstar Paul Pogba first transfer of Saudi revolution, says club legend Chris Waddle
CHRIS WADDLE called on Newcastle to dream big in the transfer window — starting with tempting Paul Pogba to St James’ Park.
The French World Cup winner is yet to pen a new contract at Manchester United, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.
Following their controversial Saudi takeover last week, Toon legend Waddle believes that the sky’s the limit for his former club.
He told SunSport: “Paul Pogba’s out of contract isn’t he?
“Now people might say about Newcastle — but money talks.
“If they sell the dream about what we’re going to win and achieve, it might.”
Waddle, 60, also urged Newcastle to ‘test’ the big teams in the hunt for new talent that can drive the North-East giants away from the bottom of the table.
He continued: “And then, do you raid the big teams?
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“Your Bayern Munichs and teams like that and say ‘we want him, we want him’.
“Test them. Could you get somebody like Eden Hazard out from Real Madrid? On loan even until the end of the season and then pay a fee.
“Federico Chiesa, yes. Moussa Diaby. Anthony Martial, not fitting in to Manchester United — all available. Donny van de Beek.
“And then do you test teams like Arsenal for your people like Emile Smith Rowe?
“What about Kalvin Phillips at Leeds? Declan Rice. Marco Asensio at Real Madrid.
“There are so many talented players at a good age, and this is what it’s about.
“It’s not about buying 31 or 32-year-olds and thinking ‘we’ll use you for a year’ and paying an absolute fortune.
“It’s about building a team over the next five years.
“Yes, of course, you’ll add to it, get some players out.
“But the first three, four, five signings are people who you think will pen a five or six-year contract and will be there for that period of time.”
The two things players want is money and trophies
Chris Waddle
Waddle also called on the Toon to raid LaLiga for the best young Spanish players.
He added: “Then you start looking at younger talent like Yeremi Pino who plays for Spain — wonderful talent.
“Gavi from Barcelona. You’ve got four or five in the Spanish team who you could build around and think ‘we could get 10 to 15 years out of these guys’.”
With the potential influx of top talent, expectations are set to skyrocket at St James’ Park.
But Waddle reckons that it will be three years until the Toon can challenge the big boys for a spot in the top four.
He said: “Next season you add another three, four, five players in the summer, you are talking comfortable mid-table, if not better.
“I think the year after that you start chasing down the top six, top eight, then your third year you think ‘we should be top four’.
“Then from there as you progress it’s about getting that first trophy.
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“If you start winning, and you’re paying big money it’s a no-lose situation because players — the two things they want is money and trophies.
“You can see why people want to go to Man City, you can see why people go to Liverpool, you can see why people want to go to Man United — they’re obviously getting closer again.
“That is the two things that will attract the players. If you’ve got that ready, to say ‘this is going to happen’, if you sell them that three, four, five-year plan — there won’t be any players, with the money that they’d earn, that will turn that down.”
- Chris Waddle was speaking to The Sun in conjunction with which bookie.co.uk. For more info go to: www.whichbookie.co.uk