Newcastle United could reportedly have a change in ownership soon.
The former Arsenal star, who now works as a pundit for Sky Sports, has given his theory why the Magpies will fail to bring in great players.
According to BBC Sport, Newcastle are close to changing owners, with Mike Ashley set to sell the club.
It has been reported that financier Amanda Staveley is leading a bid which involves Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and the Reuben Brothers.
Merson wrote in The Daily Star: “If the new owners chuck £600m at it – which they won’t – a place in the top four still ain’t gonna happen.
“For a start, they are not going to be able to attract the very top drawer players for a variety of reasons.
“If there’s a really top grade player who is going to make the kind of difference needed, there will be other more ‘attractive’ clubs in for them.”
Merson added: “Newcastle struggle to attract the real star players because these days, the likes of Leicester can pay Jamie Vardy top money. Teams outside of the big six or seven can still offer attractive wages to their best players.
“And listen, Newcastle are always at a big disadvantage attracting star players from abroad because of where it is geographically.”
Staying positive
True, Newcastle are not in a position at the moment to attract top-quality players, but things could change over the next two or three transfer windows.
After all, it was not so long ago when Manchester City were not doing that well in the Premier League, and now they are a force to be reckoned with.
Of course, Newcastle are not going to become challengers for the top four overnight, but with the right investment, patience and careful planning, they could fight for the Europa League places in the coming years.
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