Newcastle United reportedly now ‘want’ to sign Jules Kounde in what would be a club-record move this summer.
The Lowdown: January bid
As per Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), the St. James’ Park faithful ‘offered’ Sevilla as much as €70m (£59.3m) to try and sign Kounde in the January transfer window, but a move never materialised.
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That would have been a club-record deal, and now it seems they are going to try their luck again in the summer.
The Latest: Wanted
According to Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), the North East club still ‘want’ to sign Kounde, and are now a ‘rival’ to FC Barcelona for his signature.
However, the La Liga giants cannot afford to pay his €90m (£76.3m) release clause, which could well open the door for the Tynesiders.
The Verdict: Difficult
With teams like Barcelona weighing up a move for Kounde, there is no doubt that he will be a wanted man this summer, and so the Magpies may find it difficult to persuade him to join without any European football to offer.
Dubbed ‘world-class’ by former Tottenham Hotspur and England international goalkeeper Paul Robinson, the France international has played in the UEFA Champions League this season, and will be next term should Sevilla get a point in their last match of the league campaign.
Nonetheless, he is only 23 years of age, and may not feel like a move to the Toon suits him at this stage of his career.
In other news, find out which £36m-rated star NUFC could now sign for free here!