Barcelona forward Philippe Coutinho is keen on a return to the Premier League, but his chances of coming back to England could hinge on whether Mauricio Pochettino is appointed as manager of Newcastle United.
A consortium funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is close to striking a £300m takeover of the Magpies, and it is thought that Pochettino is one of their preferred options to replace current boss Steve Bruce.
If the takeover goes through, Newcastle are expected to embark on somewhat of a spending spree. According to Mundo Deportivo, Coutinho could be one of their targets if Pochettino is handed the reins.
Pochettino wanted Coutinho to join him at Tottenham Hotspur last summer, but chairman Daniel Levy's penny pinching saw any potential deal collapse fairly quickly. However, if he is backed by a free-spending owner, signing Coutinho would be far simpler this time around.
Barcelona are hopeful of selling Coutinho this summer once he returns from his loan with Bayern Munich, and given the cost of any potential deal, a return to the Premier League has been suggested as the most likely option.
His agent, Kia Joorabchian, recently confessed that the Brazilian would love to come back to England, and up until this point, it is Chelsea who have been the subject of most of the rumours surrounding Coutinho.
Several outlets in Spain have been pushing the Coutinho-to-Chelsea agenda for some time now, but such a story is yet to really be backed up by the English press, suggesting that there may not actually be any substance to the rumours.
That's why MD believe that Pochettino's move to Newcastle could be Coutinho's only hope. Under a new owner, the Magpies would be willing to spend money - something which might not be too common this summer as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
The report also notes that Newcastle have considered moves for both Antoine Griezmann and Carles Aleñá, but it seems like Coutinho could be the most likely option.
Names like Kalidou Koulibaly, Edinson Cavani and Nabil Fekir have also been doing the rounds as potential targets, and Newcastle fans will be relishing the chance to see their team actually spend some money if the deal does go through.
Source : 90min