FA Long Read: The Players Newcastle United Could Sign When the Takeover Happens

Newcastle United's takeover is nearing completion. Amanda Staveley's Saudi-backed PCP Partners could be in charge of the club before the transfer window opens, which may end up being the perfect time for rebranding at St. James Park.

The Magpies have bounced between the Championship and the Premier League and seen managers come and go without a structure during Mike Ashley's devastating 13-year reign in the North East.

But, finally, these times do look to be nearing an end. Soon, the big money signings could follow and the path to Europe may become as smooth as it has been since their best days in the Premier League in the late 90s.

Whilst bringing in the elite names will be a tough ask at first under the watchful eye of Financial Fair Play and with other clubs getting their noses involved, they won't be too far away in years to come.

We take a look at the star free agents they could attract, such as Mario Gotze, as well as the countless realistic signings they could soon bring in, like John McGinn and Juan Mata.

ICYMI: Read how Newcastle United's are a sleeping giant and how their takeover should seriously worry the 'Big Six'.

The Magpies' immediate future is still around mid-table, with the lingering worry of a relegation battle far from extinguished for now. Over the months of the takeover, no doubt the transfers will come in - both on and off the field - and the aim over the next two seasons will be to charge for Europe.

Clubs such as Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United have proved in recent times that you don't have to be apart of the 'Big Six' hierarchy to upset the odds. Wolves have had an almighty transfer overhaul in the past three years, taking them from the Championship to the Europa League, and they are living proof that following a blueprint of wealth and specific talent, a path to Europe looks much smoother.

But with this said, there will be casualties at St. James Park and none more so than the manager, Steve Bruce. The ex-Sunderland boss has been at the helm for the entirety of this season thus far, and it has been very Newcastle-esque campaign until now.

A topsy-turvy start, followed by teams below dropping points have ensured they are not in the middle of the relegation scrap, but remain on the outskirts of the battle instead. Now, should the takeover go through, Bruce's job is at serious risk. No doubt the owners will look to rocket them to Europe, and the Englishman has been seen as more of a fighter down the bottom end, as opposed to the top, forcing the questions to be asked.

Several players will, of course, be at risk in the long term, but names such as Allan Saint-Maximin, and Matthew and Sean Longstaff have shown their worth as products of the future. Then again, signings like Joelinton will struggle to stake their claim if another expensive player comes in, whilst the likes of DeAndre Yedlin are all but guaranteed to be under threat.

Naturally, Newcastle will have to start lower down in picking their players for this new brand. Unlike Chelsea's windfall in the 2000s, being a billionaire club and buying players with a blank cheque is nothing new with the addition of clubs like Manchester City. At the same time, Financial Fair Play has finally begun to punish such clubs, with both Chelsea and City facing transfer bans and European elimination, respectively, in the last year.

Plus, there is also the obvious that the Magpies are not yet a European giant, and as things stand, they are currently years claiming this. Therefore, the immediate aim for the new owners will be to sign a mix of wanted youngsters, the established elite, star players, and those with an already impressive Premier League history.

One man who could fit this bill quite nicely would be John McGinn. The Aston Villa man has been one of very few stars in their return to the Premier League, whilst he is already reportedly wanted by the clubs inside the top eight. Similarly, the likes of Dwight McNeil have impressed for a club around Newcastle's level, as McNeil has already been labelled by many Burnley fans as their Player of the Season.

The Magpies owners will also look further and bring in players from around Europe. Names mentioned in this regard are AC Milan duo, Hakan Calhanoglu and Frank Kessie. Calhanognu has made his way around Europe already, playing for clubs like Milan, Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen, performing well at each.

The Turkey international is still just 26 and may cost less than £40m to acquire. Milan boss Stefano Pioli does use the midfielder regularly, but sources claim he has been on the minds of Newcastle scouts for some time.

Kessie is also on the scouts' notebooks. At 23, the likes of Arsenal have reportedly been keeping tabs on the Ivory Coast striker and he could fill the shoes of an expensive Joelinton, who hasn't performed anywhere near what was hoped of him.

Elsewhere, certain players like Julian Draxler have seen their stature decrease over the years with little game time at Paris Saint-Germain. Similarly for players such as Sami Khedira, who are approaching their mid-30s and struggle to get past 15 starts for the season. Of course, such high profile signings are unlikely, but these are just a few names who could potentially be persuaded by the future at St. James Park, and a healthy wage temptation won't harm the deal either.

Whilst the likes of McGinn and McNeil are players who are establishing themselves as some of the Premier League's top names, they may not be the immediate difference between them settling inside the top 10 or out of it.

Whoever is in charge will need to broaden their horizon and consider who they can get on the cheap from the established elite, or perhaps prize away those seeking a new adventure. Star names such as Wilfred Zaha spring to mind, with a host of European clubs seemingly uninterested in paying the hefty price tag for the Crystal Palace winger.

Newcastle will, however, probably be a little more inclined to do so. Whilst Zaha may cost around £60 or £70m and may not be worth it for a Manchester United, for the Magpies, it is very much a star signing already made. United or Arsenal can bring in the bigger names already and may see their millions spent better on a Jadon Sancho, but Newcastle are years of attracting such names -Zaha looks like the perfect signing for now.

Elsewhere, players like Willian already have Premier League medals and have racked up a decent goal tally. The Brazilian has seemed closer to the exit door each year and at 32 come next season, he could be the ideal signing for a price below £30m. The same applies for names like Pedro, who have already stated they intend to leave Chelsea for at the end of this campaign.

Sticking with outcasts at Stamford Bridge, Oliver Giroud is the name that sticks out brighter than any other. The Frenchman's style of play to Newcastle seems to fit like a glove and he could bring the Andy Carroll-esque nature back to St. James Park.

Giroud was close to leaving Chelsea in January, and at 33, he will barely make a dent in the Magpies' newly found fortune, and be a valuable asset at that with his already proven record in the top-flight.

There will then be potential additions of players in desperate need a move, such as Granit Xhaka. The Swiss midfielder has had a disastrous year at Arsenal and sparked up a fiery atmosphere between himself and the fans, when he gestured to the Emirates faithful earlier this year. Xhaka may need to move on for the sake of his own career, and whilst he hasn't had the most memorable Premier League career, he could be a strong addition next to Jonjo Shelvey for the time being.

Danny Rose is another name who may well be considered. Rose is currently a Newcastle player, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, and as a result, he may even end up being the club's first major signing in this new era.

There is a list of already established Premier League names out there, who either need a move away, or could be prized for very little by the new owners. The wealthy names in the directors' box may even look towards the likes of Juan Mata, as well, and Newcastle will surely acquire a few of these for next season.

There is also the addition of the players who need a complete rebirth in their careers. Names such as Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan spring to mind, whilst defenders like Phil Jones and Chris Smalling may want a new challenge ahead of Euro 2021.

Such players will come cheaper than the world-class names out there, although hefty wage bills from players such as Sanchez may cause concern. The Chilean notably earns much more than that his performances justify since moving to Manchester United, but if there is ever a time and a place to try and work his way back to the Old Trafford wing, it could be at Newcastle next season.

Other star names such as Mesut Ozil will probably be too tough to bring in, but he could be worth a shot, as his Arsenal career seems to have all but stalled. Furthermore, perhaps the likes of Erik Lamela could be strong additions and he, in particular, certainly falls into the more 'realistic' category.

The same applies to other London players such as Ross Barkley, Shkodran Mustafi, Marcos Alonso and Eric Dier - the latter is definitely a potential signing considering his recent downfall with Spurs.

Such mentioned names certainly make sense from both player and club perspective. They will most definitely fall cheaper than other names on the market, whilst the men themself will surely want to reestablish themselves by playing regularly in a team on the rise, especially with Euro 2021 approaching.

ICYMI: Read how Newcastle United's are a sleeping giant and how their takeover should seriously worry the 'Big Six'.

Whilst the superstar signings could be a few years away, as Newcastle gradually build towards Europe, don't overlook the big names just yet. After all, City signed one of the world's best in Robinho just weeks into their takeover in 2008, and the likes of Carlos Tevez followed within 12 months. Then, it didn't take long for the big guns such as David Silva, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero to trickle in from 2010 through to their title charge in 2011.

Some names mentioned early on are the likes of Arturo Vidal and James Rodriguez, both of which are struggling to establish themselves with their respective gargantuan Spanish clubs. Of course, the two will certainly be looking further up the table if they are to move to England, especially when you consider Vidal has won league titles in Spain, Germany and Italy, whilst Rodriguez has two Champions League medals.

Certain reports have looked at Philippe Coutinho, who has failed in justifying his £142m price tag at Barcelona. Such a deal is certainly off the table for now, with the owners probably not willing to conjure up over £100m so early on, as Financial Fair Play watches their every move.

On the other hand, Moussa Dembele is a player who could potentially make the switch from a European giant to the North East. The Lyon striker has had a fantastic rise over recent seasons at both Celtic and Lyon, bagging a combined 93 goals for the Scottish and French sides since 2016.

Dembele is seemingly on the radar of the 'Big Six' outfits like Arsenal and Spurs, but their current star strikers may make this deal a no-go, leaving the door open for Newcastle. The Frenchman has reportedly said he wants to return to English football, as he feels he never fully established himself within England when he was at Fulham, playing all but two of his 56 league games in the Championship.

There is then the potential in signing those on a free transfer, such as Edinson Cavani or Mario Gotze. Cavani is out of contract at PSG in the summer and the Uruguayan has already made it clear he wants to leave by handing in a transfer request in January. Of course, his eyes will surely be set on other clubs in need of a striker like Man United, but should they turn their attention away, a door could open.

Gotze is one player, however, who is in desperate need of an entire restructure in his career. Since being branded as the star for German football's golden generation, a move to Bayern Munich and such a tag seems to have destroyed his career. It's tough to believe that the creative midfielder is still only 27 and he could be a star for years to come at St. James Park, although, it will need an almighty deal on the table to get it through.