Newcastle reportedly want a midfielder that has drawn enormous praise from Lionel Messi

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Newcastle United are edging closer to completing a takeover at board level and the club have been linked with a move to sign Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal – and Lionel Messi is clearly a big fan of the Chilean star.

Italian website ITA Sport Press have claimed that 32-year-old star Vidal is a target for Newcastle’s potential new owners, with Amanda Staveley forefronting a move that has been financially backed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Indeed, it is believed the former Bayern Munich star – who has an enormous 115 Chile caps – would be open to a move to Newcastle if Massimiliano Allegri replaces Steve Bruce as manager.

The potential addition of Vidal would be just the kind of calibre signing expected from new owners. He has enjoyed spells for some of Europe’s biggest clubs including Bayern Munich, Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen and now Barcelona.

Newcastle, themselves, could do with a midfielder. The Longstaff brothers and Jonjo Shelvey are expected to remain, even if Matty’s contract expires in the summer. But Isaac Hayden’s future remains in doubt, while Nabil Bentaleb is only on loan.

Vidal would be a top signing for Newcastle, if his Barcelona teammate and worldwide superstar Messi’s quotes from earlier this season are anything to go by. Speaking after Barcelona’s win over Inter Milan, Messi was quoted by the Metro as saying he is “very important”.

“Arturo gives you so much,” said Messi about the £27million (Guardian) Barcelona signing . ‘He is a player who, when he enters, catches, recovers, arrives, plays. He is a very important player for us. He is a very important player for the team.”