Newcastle have continued to be linked with some of the biggest players in Europe and that includes ex-Barcelona player Philippe Coutinho.
But in order for the Maggies to get Philippe Coutinho to sign for them, they have to hire Mauricio Pochettino.
That's the opinion of ex-Liverpool player Steve Nicol, who believes the former Spurs boss would be influential in Newcastle being able to sign top-tier players.
Ahead of their much-anticipated takeover from a Saudi Arabia-backed consortium, the likes of Coutinho, Edinson Cavani, Dries Mertens and Kalidou Koulibaly have all been tipped to move to St. James' Park.
Pochettino has been linked to take over from Steve Bruce, having been out of work since Tottenham sacked him.
And Nicol believes that if the Argentine gets the job, they'll be able to get big-name players to the club.
Nicol told ESPN FC that Coutinho would definitely be a target for Newcastle, but it would all depend on Pochettino.
“He would be on the list, but it depends on a couple of things,” he said.
“If Pochettino signs on at Newcastle then you know one thing – there's a huge war chest. Otherwise, Pochettino is going nowhere near.
“You have to start somewhere, and right now Coutinho would be a huge upgrade on anything going forward that Newcastle have.
“Yes, he's on the list, but is he at the top of the list? Maybe not.
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“To get the ball rolling, the first move has to be Pochettino, and if the money is right, there's no question you'll see big-name players going to Newcastle once again.”
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
