Newcastle board ‘love the idea’ of signing £198m star as ‘outrageous’ transfer is not ruled out

The idea of Newcastle signing PSG forward Neymar might “seem outrageous”, but “it wouldn’t surprise” one journalist if the Premier League club try their luck.

When the Magpies were taken over in October 2021, many people expected them to go berserk in the transfer window, signing the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

That has not been the case, however.

They have been very conservative and sensible in the transfer market – much to our disappointment – which has paid off on the pitch.

The big-money signings of Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman and Alexander Isak have been fantastic, while the shrewder deals for Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn have also worked out extremely well.

With a return to the Champions League just around the corner (barring a huge capitulation), it would appear that silly season is back upon us when it comes to Newcastle transfer news.

Neymar’s PSG future is currently up in the air, which has seen him being linked to both Newcastle and Man Utd.

It was reported earlier this week by The Sun that prospective Red Devils owner Sheikh Jassim is looking to bring the Brazilian superstar to Old Trafford this summer, as one of his first actions at the club.

And rumours of a move to St James’ Park have accelerated this week.

Journalist Dean Jones has admitted that it seems like an unrealistic transfer but insists the club’s hierarchy ‘loves the idea’ of signing one of the biggest players in world football.

“The interest from Newcastle does seem outrageous,” Jones told GiveMeSport. “I understand that some people will see the rumours about Neymar joining them and disregard them immediately.

“But there is some substance to this, from what a couple of contacts have told me who are usually well-informed about stories like this.

“I’m not saying this is going to happen, I can’t go that far, but I was told that members of the hierarchy love this idea, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they tried their luck.

“It would be a big change to the type of business they have done so far, and Eddie Howe would need convincing that it will not rock the dressing room and bring any bad vibes to the place. But he knows that every season the club will look to become more ambitious.

“He knows that a player with a massive profile will eventually land on Tyneside, and very few in the game are bigger than Neymar.

“It is early days, and we will have to see whether this interest can lead to any genuine progress, but if Neymar wants to come to the Premier League, there will not be many clubs that can afford him or offer Champions League football. It would be a blockbuster.”

During his pre-match press conference on Friday, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said his side can not afford the 31-year-old.

“Financially, we can’t recruit that way at the moment, but also we have to bring the right people and the right players into the group,” Howe said.

“I will say the transfer market is such a complex decision, you can’t just pick a name and bring them in. There’s got to be a lot of thought going into what we’re doing both financially and looking at the players.

“I know what direction I want to take the team in and what we can and can’t do in the transfer market.”

READ MORE: Welcome back, Big Sam: a psychotherapist’s dream and Proper Football Man’s fantasy