Newcastle United should not expect to sign the best players in the world as soon as their long-anticipated takeover by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund goes through, according to former Magpies player John Barnes.
A group headed up by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is closing in on a ÂŁ300 million ($375m) deal to take over the Premier League club, with many fans excited about the possibility of huge investment in players, in spite of questions about Saudi Arabia's human rights record which has led to significant criticism.
Whatever the off-field issues, former England international Barnes thinks Newcastle supporters need to be patient and that they should not expect the north-east club to be immediately competing on the same footing as Manchester City when signing players.
Barnes told Bonus Code Bets: "Marquee signings for Newcastle are not marquee signings. Ronaldo is not going there, Messi is not going there, Mbappe is not going there. If they are sold, I still donât think that the best players in the world are going to go to Newcastle.
"Theyâre not marquee signings, theyâre players that Newcastle probably couldnât have got before the Saudi Arabians take over. Everyone wants to try and get better players. Better players donât mean marquee signings, itâs just better players than what they have.
"Theyâll spend more money, attract more players in terms of the salaries theyâre going to pay, thatâs the same as any club."
It remains to be seen when any players, whether Ronaldo, Messi or otherwise, will be taking the field in Newcastle, with the Premier League season currently suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak.
There are plans being discussed for 'Project Restart', which could see the Premier League resume in the coming weeks, however without fans in attendance and the possibility of games being played at neutral venues to stop supporters gathering outside.
Barnes however feels the neutral venue proposal is unfair, and it would be better to wait until it is safe for teams to play at their own grounds, rather than rushing to an unsatisfactory compromise.
He said: "I donât like the idea of playing in neutral stadiums, I donât see the point of playing in neutral stadiums. The whole situation is that we have to get back playing when itâs safe.Â
"Why do we have to play in neutral stadiums? Youâve got your home fixtures and your away fixtures. If you're talking about no promotion or no relegation itâs ridiculous, you shouldnât be doing it unless everybody buys into the fact that you want to play in neutral stadiums but youâre still going to get relegated, but people want more to suit.
"I donât see why you canât play the season out with the home matches you have left and the away matches you have left. If they want to do it in empty stadiums, do it in empty stadiums. I donât see the point of neutral stadiums."