At the end of September, the father of Club Brugge star Hans Vanaken welcomed the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal potentially showing an interest in the player.
This was just days before Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund [PIF] completed their purchase of Newcastle United.
The Magpies are likely to become one of the interesting opportunities for players in the coming windows, when it comes to transfers, and there’s a chance Belgium based players like Vanaken could be dragged into the picture.
Het Laatste Nieuws invited Vanaken as a guest for their podcast, HLN Sportcast.
His comments have been relayed by Voetbal Belgie, and when the attacking midfielder was asked what he’ll do if Newcastle knock on his door, the 29-year-old said: “I still have plenty of challenges for myself here.
“I’m in a team that plays for the trophies and enters the Champions League. That really appeals to me. I will never just exchange this for a team where I may have to play to avoid relegation.”
West Ham United showed interest in Vanaken in the summer of 2020, but he rejected the chance to join the Hammers and then signed a five-year deal with Club Brugge.
When it was pointed out a move to St James’ Park would help him significantly improve his wages, Vanaken admitted he’d take a Newcastle offer into consideration.
“If such an offer comes on the table, I would have to think about it carefully first. But I am now 29 years old and such amounts are ‘over the top’,” the player explained.
