Newcastle legend Nikos Dabizas says his former club should sign Premier League players who are struggling for minutes at their top-flight clubs during the January transfer window.
Newcastle became the richest club in world football after being taken over by the Public Investiment Fund, and are said to be gearing up for a big transfer window.
Dabizas says they must be strategic with their purchases considering they are in an intense relegation battle. He says the club must look for players with a 'combination of talent, personality, motive and character'.
Newcastle have been linked with moves for Tottenham's Dele Alli, Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette and Manchester United outcasts Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial.
However, Dabizas - who spent five years at the club following his arrival from Olympiacos in 1998 - says Newcastle must be 'careful' when selecting their transfer targets.
Speaking to The Sun, he said: 'All 20 teams have [talented] players that don't get enough minutes and that might be something Newcastle can take advantage of.
'[The January transfer window] is always tough for every team. That is when you can only make additional moves, not a general restructure for years to come. They will have to make careful moves to achieve the main goal, which is to avoid relegation.
'But under no circumstances will they be able to build a foundation in January because no one sells their best player mid-season and even if they do it won't come cheap.
'The hierarchy and club need to find the suitable candidates so that they can gradually set the foundation that will allow them to become more competitive and climb through the ranks.
'What's important for me is [the players'] motive. Surely the financial motive will come into play but if that's the sole reason he chose Newcastle then he won't be the right choice.
'For me, the appropriate mentality [is important] because Newcastle are a club with an intense, as well as loyal, crowd and the players they accept historically are the ones that identify and dedicate their soul for the team.
'If a player arrives just for an extra few zeroes on his contract then that won't be healthy and [he] won't elevate the squad. It needs to be an important combination of talent, personality, motive and character.'
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