Newcastle's number one target should be Sterling, says Ferdinand
James Shearman
- 13 Oct 2021 16:29 BST
- 3 min read
Rio Ferdinand thinks Newcastle United should target English talent such as Raheem Sterling before looking overseas.
The Magpies have recently been taken over by a Saudi-led consortium and are now in a position to compete financially with the world's best teams.
However, the former Manchester United defender insists there are plenty of English players that would make for quality signings in the January transfer window, leaving no need to compete for Europe's hottest properties at this stage.
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And Euro 2020 star Sterling is supposedly an ideal candidate to spearhead Newcastle's journey to the top end of the Premier League, alongside some of his England teammates.
''I’d be going to try and make like a mad couple of signings, like huge, that I think would be gettable,'' Ferdinand said on his YouTube show Vibe with Five.
''I’d be looking at people like Raheem Sterling. Raheem Sterling’s not playing regularly, I’d go ask him the question. I’d go and ask Declan Rice, 'What’s going on?'
''Them two would be the first two on my list, and I’d go all out to go and get them. And then I’d be trying to get people like Jesse Lingard, who’s in and around the Man United squad.''
''It’s unrealistic until you ask the question. I’d be going out there to get answers from these types of players and then you work your way down your list.''
No Mbappe or Haaland?
Newcastle's owners have such wealth that world-class talents Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are not, financially speaking, out of reach.
Yet, Ferdinand believes the Magpies have no business looking at that calibre of player and should, instead, focus on homegrown players.
''[Kylian Mbappe] is just dreamland, but there’s people that would be on the periphery of the Man Utd squad, the Chelsea squad, the City squad. I’d be looking at players like that, I’d be all over those types of players,'' he added.
''And then I’d be wanting to unearth some young talents probably from around the world that you think would be able to mix and blend in to that. Do you know who I’d go out and get now as well? I’d be going mad for young, English talent. The best young, English talent.
''Max Aarons, the right-back at Norwich, Under-21 player. Conor Gallagher, straight in there. Get him in there. They’re two names, straight away, young kids who I’d say they’re coming into Newcastle. I want young, English talent.
''Newcastle are an English club, I’d want a young core of English players.''
