Barcelona star is open to joining Newcastle United

Newcastle United’s progress since the arrival of Eddie Howe as manager has been unbelievable. While once they were looking likely to be relegated from the Premier League, they are now sitting at 9th in the table and could potentially be set for a top half finish. Both the players and the manager deserve immense credit for that.

If they can continue to perform like they have since the turn of the year, it is very possible that Newcastle United could end up competing for a top six spot next season. And Howe certainly deserves to be backed in the summer transfer window.

While The Magpies have done a wonderful job over the past few months, it is important to keep improving so that their performance levels don’t drop in the future. And there are multiple areas in the squad which could do with some strengthening.

One of the most high-profile names that Newcastle United have been linked with recently is Philippe Coutinho. And as reported by SPORT, the Barcelona star is attracted by the project and so an agreement would be possible.

Can Newcastle United sign Coutinho from Barcelona?

Coutinho is currently on loan at Aston Villa though and the club are believed to have an option to buy included in the deal.

During his spell at Aston Villa, Coutinho has proven that he is still capable of performing at the Premier League level, despite his disappointing run at Barcelona. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he has scored 4 goals and provided 3 assists in 13 appearances for Steven Gerrard’s side this season.

It is believed that it would take a transfer fee of €40 million to sign Coutinho from Barcelona and it remains to be seen if Aston Villa are open to shelling out that kind of a figure for the Brazilian. Rumours have suggested that Newcastle United are and would also match his salary at Camp Nou.