Newcastle can now afford to sign £75m player and PIF could go through with it

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Neymar looks set to be sold by PSG this summer and Newcastle United might genuinely be interested in a deal for the Brazilian superstar.

Yesterday I wrote a slightly tongue-in-cheek opinion about Newcastle offering Neymar an escape from Paris Saint-Germain after fans gathered outside his home and chanted for him to leave the club. Then, several hours later, a report appears on 90min claiming that sources have indicated that Newcastle may be genuinely interested.

At first I rolled my eyes, much like you all probably did when you saw my article yesterday, but the more I read, the more I thought there could be something in this.

PIF think Neymar would be the ideal marquee signing

PIF want to make a ‘marquee’ signing and, as much as they love Cristiano Ronaldo they are aware that Eddie Howe doesn’t see him as a good fit, but with Newcastle looking for more options down the left, it’s believed that Neymar would work.

The 31-year-old moved to PSG in a world record £200m switch from Barcelona but 90mins believe that Newcastle could acquire his services for closer to the £75million mark, which, while still a hefty sum, isn’t too outrageous for someone with Neymar’s cache. The merchandise the club could sell off the back of his signing would recoup a large portion of that outlay alone.

Wages would be the big issue. Neymar’s current deal sees him pick up an eye-watering £606,000 per week and there is no way Newcastle would fork over that kind of money. Newcastle have a well-documented wage structure in place and it’s there to keep the club within Financial Fair Play and to guard against massive egos disturbing the harmony in the dressing room.

Neymar’s injury record could be a concern for Newcastle

Therein lies the problem with this whole story. Neymar would have to take a significant wage cut to come to Newcastle, and there’d be huge concerns over someone of that level coming in and disrupting the good vibes amongst the squad.

Not to mention his injury record makes Callum Wilson look like a Terminator. We could end up spending a lot of money for a player who spends more time on the treatment table than on the pitch.

All that being said, it would be phenomenal to see Neymar in the Premier League and if that’s going to happen, then yeah, it’s have him in our black and white. It would be clear statement from our owners that we mean business, and the revenue it would generate from merchandise and sponsorship deals would be fantastic.

But … does he fit? That’s the question.