Newcastle could now make move to sign player Eddie Howe thinks is ‘world-class’

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Newcastle United are very close to qualifying for the Champions League which means they can shop in the VIP section of the transfer market this summer, and Lionel Messi has just come onto the market.

The sports world can’t stop talking about Lionel Messi‘s falling out with Paris Saint-Germain. Messi has been suspended for two weeks by PSG after making a trip to Saudi Arabia without permission from the Qatar-backed club.

With his contract set to expire in the summer it’s thought that the World Cup winner may have played his last game in Ligue 1. So, as sure as day follows night, Newcastle‘s name was immediately linked to Messi as Sport.es suggested we could move for the 35-year-old.

Messi’s wages would empty the Financial Fair Play tank

I get it, Newcastle’s owners are absurdly wealthy, but the club itself isn’t. There’s no way we could land Lionel Messi and still have anything left in the Financial Fair Play tank to bring in the rest of the players we need to compete on all fronts next season.

For context, one of the biggest stories surrounding this, is that Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia – you remember them, right? The club Newcastle battered 5-0 in the mid-season friendly leading to Jacob Murphy lifting a trophy like it was the World Cup. Al-Hilal have offered Messi a mind-blowing £350million-a-year to play for them according to The Guardian.

It’s unlikely that any European club is going to offer anywhere close to that kind of money, but some can offer Messi another crack at the Champions League which could sway him more than money.

However, he’s still not likely to go anywhere on the cheap which rules Newcastle out immediately. There’s no way Eddie Howe would want to see all of his budget blown on just one player. Just because there’s no transfer fee attached to Messi doesn’t mean his signing won’t impact FFP.

Newcastle have been linked to Messi since the takeover went through

This of course isn’t the first time Messi and Newcastle have been uttered in the same breath as his name was instantly brought up when the takeover went through as the media went mad linking Messi and Kylian Mbappe with moves to Tyneside.

Even as recently as December Eddie Howe was asked about bringing Messi to Newcastle, albeit jokingly by Keith Downie as he asked if he’d be open to signing Messi if he were available. Howe said: “Keith, come on! He’s a world-class talent and you can see that age hasn’t diminished his attributes. He’s never relied purely on pace, he’s got the touches and the skills.”

I mean … he didn’t say no, did he?

Seriously though, let’s not get carried away here. The chances of Lionel Messi wearing the famous black and white are slimmer than a shaved Peperami. Would be nice though, wouldn’t it?