Woodgate warns Newcastle fans: You're in dreamland if you think Mbappe is joining | OneFootball

Former Newcastle United defender Jonathan Woodgate has warned fans not to get carried away after the club changed owners.

The club's Saudi Arabia-backed takeover was approved last week, bringing an end to the tumultuous ownership of Mike Ashley, and the mega £305million deal has sparked hopes they will soon be a new footballing superpower.

Woodgate told BBC Sport: "If you look at it and what they (the owners) have to do, they have to build the infrastructure from the bottom over the years.

"If any player has got anything about him, he goes to Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United. No disrespect to Newcastle, he ain't going up the road to them.

"It is hard enough trying to get players up to the North East, I know playing for Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Leeds, it is difficult to get players up there.

"All the top players have got money, they want to win trophies, they want to play in European finals, they want to get to World Cups, they don't want to come to Newcastle. No disrespect but I am right.

"Alan Shearer was a world-class player and signed for Newcastle because he is from Newcastle, he wanted to fulfil a dream. There are not many more world-class players in their pomp playing for that club.

"For the Newcastle fans to think they are going to get Kylian Mbappe and all these top players, it is dreamland, you have to build it. It isn't easy, you can't just buy success. It doesn't work like that in this league."