Newcastle keen to sign Barca stars

FC Barcelona and Newcastle United are close to agreeing the sale of Luis Enrique and Michael Reiziger to the Premiership side.

Newcastle are hoping to sign the pair in a £10 million deal as Barca coach Louis van Gaal continues to revise the squad of the Spanish champions. Ruud Gullit is an admirer of both players who have a fine pedigree in European football behind them. Both are internationals and Enrique is a former Real Madrid player who helped them to the 1995 last gasp championship win in Spain. He is a regular choice for the past three Spanish coaches in his wide midfield position and his fee would be large than any paid for former Ajax Amsterdam defender Reiziger.

After a short spell with AC Milan he has helped Barca win the last two Spanish championships in his left back role and is a regular in the Dutch national side. Barcelona are looking to trim their large squad down before next season's priority of Champions League success and Newcastle had been interested in five players at the Catalan club but Gullit has made Reiziger and Enrique his choices to try and sign and negotiations are at an advanced stage with Reiziger keener to make the move than the Spaniard Enrique at the moment.