LES FERDINAND has warned Newcastle’s new owners to FORGET about buying any superstars in January.
With his director of football hat on, the QPR chief and Toon hero is urging them to target dogs of war primed for a relegation scrap.
Kevin Keegan signed ‘Sir Les’ from Loftus Road in 1995 for £6million to replace Andy Cole, who had left for Manchester United.
Ferdinand was only on Tyneside for two seasons before moving to Tottenham — but his legend lives on today after 41 league goals and two second-placed finishes.
And while fans dream of buying Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, the former England striker insists the likes of Burnley defender James Tarkowski are needed now for the winless Magpies.
Ferdinand, 54, said: “The priority is to get the team out of the relegation zone.
“They’ve got to wait until January so it’s about planning and making money available to attract the players they’re going to need.
“It’s no quick fix. You’re going to have to bring in certain players to help you out of the predicament right now.
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“Then next summer they’ll have to go again to get the players to take them forward.
“The fans are going to need patience. People are speculating they’re going to do this, that and the other, but they’re in the relegation zone.
“They’ll be able to buy the players to get them out of the predicament they’re in, then it is onwards and upwards.”
If, and it remains a big if, Premier League safety can be secured, then the sky is the limit for the wealthiest club in the world.
Huge ambition and marquee signings have been promised by the mega-rich Saudi Arabian-backed owners.
And if anyone knows what is in store for Newcastle’s new heroes, it is Ferdinand.
There is a buzz on Tyneside not witnessed since Keegan’s ‘Entertainers’ came so close to lifting the title in 1996.
On what future big signings can expect, Ferdinand added: “Before I went up, Keegan said, ‘Living in London, you can get lost as there are so many famous faces and people aren’t bothered. Everybody is bothered about Newcastle United here’.
“He asked what hobbies I’d like to do. I said I’d like to learn to cook, play saxophone and ride a motorbike.
“I said I’d go to night school and he replied, ‘You don’t understand. You can’t go to night school, all these things will have to be done privately’.
“When I got there I understood what he meant.
“I learned how to ride a bike with Warren Barton.
“He had bought open-faced helmets and we were riding down this road and stopped at the lights outside a pub.
“All of a sudden a load of Newcastle fans ran out and start shouting, ‘Oi, Ferdinand, get off that bike — you better not get injured!’
“There was no getting away from it.
“You are in a goldfish bowl — but when it’s going well it’s a great goldfish bowl.”
Ferdinand disagrees the Toon will struggle to attract the world’s best players to the North East.
He said: “It doesn’t matter where the club is.
“Most players are of the same mindset, that if the team is flying they’ll be happy to go and play wherever that may be.”
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