Keegan's dream: I'd break world record fee to bring Thierry to Tyneside

Kevin Keegan wants to bring Thierry Henry to Newcastle - even if he has to break the world transfer record fee for a second time to do it.

The Toon boss is prepared to raid the bottomless pit of money on offer to him at St James' Park to lure the unhappy striker away from Barcelona in the summer.

Keegan, speaking on Radio Newcastle, revealed that Henry is top of his wish-list. The French international has struggled to establish himself at the Nou Camp since last June's £16million move from Arsenal.

"I would like to fetch Thierry Henry back to England," Keegan said. "He's the best player I've seen in the Premiership. When you're pitch-side, what I've seen him do to good players has been incredible.

"Sometimes you can take advantage of a situation and get what I call lucky."

Newcastle broke the world transfer record in 1996 under Keegan when Alan Shearer joined from Blackburn for £15m and is refusing to rule out another ground-breaking deal under the auspices of the club's billionaire owner Mike Ashley.

"I'd like to do what we did last time and surprise people," Keegan added. "It would be nice to break a world record. Why rule it out? I'd like to bring players here that amaze people and we stop just talking about being a big club - but, with our actions, we show that we are.

"Sometimes people limit themselves by saying, 'We can't do that'. You say, 'Why not?' and they don't give you an answer. If we can get this club going in the right direction we have the owner who will find us the money for these players.

"You start by building up trust with the people who provide the finance that you can find these players at the right price. It's easy to get players to a club once it's flying in the right direction.

"It's who you can get. Last time, apart from probably Alan Shearer, most of the people - like David Ginola - it was because something had happened. He had the chance to play at Barcelona but came here."