'It sounds like science fiction' - The view from the dressing room on the Newcastle United takeover and Steve Bruce's future

Newcastle United defender Javi Manquillo has spoken about the dressing room atmosphere at St James’s Park following the recent £305m takeover of the club.

Manquillo, who scored his first goal for Newcastle at Old Trafford in September, recognises the enormity of the deal and has insisted that the squad are behind under-pressure boss Steve Bruce.

“I understand that this operation will arouse antipathy or hatred,” Manquillo told The Telegraph.

“But we are not going to stop enjoying this period because of this.

“We are all professionals, Steve the first, he knows that the situation is not easy and even more so now that there is talk of his dismissal, but we are not getting carried away by the rumours."

“He’s working normally, he wants to start to get back on track and we’ll see what happens in the end.

Manquillo continued: “I have read that there is talk of Gerrard and Lampard, but our manager now is Steve Bruce and we support him without hesitation.”

Assuring Premier League safety is vital for Newcastle this season, however, even Manquillo admits that the future is looking bright on Tyneside:

“Undoubtedly everyone wants to be part of this new phase, which is exciting for all of us,” Manquillo said.

“I’ve been at Newcastle for a long time, I feel at home, and now that there is a new project we would all love to continue.

“I don’t know how long it will take but this operation is aimed at Newcastle being able to compete for the Premier League and we want to live it.

“A few weeks ago we were a normal club and now we are the richest club in the world. It sounds like science fiction but these changes happen sometimes. It’s good news for Newcastle because from now on the team will get better and better.”

The full-back also cheekily dropped in a couple of players he would like to see move to the north east:

“If you ask me who I’d sign for Newcastle, I’d go for [Kylian] Mbappe and I’d go for [Erling] Haaland. If it was a PlayStation team I’d also go for Messi and Cristiano, but the youngsters who stand out the most right now are those two.”

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