7 Players Worthy Of Breaking Newcastle's Transfer Record

5. Axel Witsel - Zenit St Petersburg (transfermarkt value: £30.8 million)

wikiwikiProbably the most out of reach player on the list, 25-year-old Axel Witsel is really a fantastic player that would cost a huge amount, but would put Newcastle in contention at the top as soon as he help the shirt. The Belgian international deep lying play-maker was bought by current club Zenit St Petersburg for £32.5 million as part of a spending spree, Brazil international Hulk also signed from Porto (again!) for £48 million alongside him in September 2012. Fit for most clubs on the planer, yet still only playing in Russia and Newcastle recently had a world class man in their midfield, so Witsel still fits the bill as one of seven good targets worthy of breaking the transfer record, without being out of the club's league. If you need any more of a measuremernt of his ability, just look towards the Belgium team that everyone is talking about, it has been said in the past that he, more than any other player in the squad, was vital to keeping things ticking over in the midfield. In many ways, he's wasted at Zenit. In terms of playing style he has similarities to Guarin, with only four goals and two assists to his name last season not matching up to his ability, instead regularly getting over 7 in the WhoScored.com ratings, particularly when sitting in front of the back four in his favoured "quarterback" role. He can bring many of the qualities that went missing after Yohan Cabaye's exit, and if he was to ever come to England, the adulation he would surely get from Newcastle fans would enhance his game in a similar way that it did for the Frenchman. If only!
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Contributor

Budding football journalist, European football fan and Newcastle United season ticket holder. I have contributed to FourFourTwo.com and The Evening Chronicle.