Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez has confirmed that he has asked his scouts to be ready with a list of transfer targets if owner Mike Ashley sells the club before the January transfer window.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s game against Burnley at Turf Moor, the Spaniard confirmed he is taking into account every possibility by instructing his scouting team to be ready with a variety of different options:
“One side or the other side (of a takeover happening), we have to have the names. They have to do that. There are players that you cannot sign, even if you have money, you cannot sign these players because they play Champions League, Europa League or whatever with a top side. So you cannot waste time with these players. But the others you have to know all of them and be ready.”
The Chronicle journalist Mark Douglas reports the Magpies already have two lists of names in preparation for the next window, and that the club will look to sign a new number nine, a number ten and a left back.
This is likely where the Daily Star have gotten the names of Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley and Andy Carroll from. The trio were reportedly mentioned in a meeting between Newcastle’s possible new owners PCP Partners and representatives from the club, although it seems very unlikely that any takeover talks would be so detailed to name individual transfer targets.
