According to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, Newcastle United have seen a club-record bid rejected by Lille for midfielder Boubakary Soumare.
Newcastle United See Bid Rejected By Lille for Boubakary Soumare
Steve Bruce Confirmation
The news of the rejected bid came in Steve Bruce’s pre-match press conference ahead of their game with Norwich City this weekend.
“We had a bid accepted that would nearly have been a transfer record,” he said. “It was accepted by the club, but unfortunately the player wanted to stay where he was.
“We were active, but it didn’t quite happen. We had the bid accepted but unfortunately, the player wants to stay where he was so you have to accept that.”
Highly-Sought After Midfielder
Soumare has been chased by a number of Premier League clubs throughout this window. The 20-year-old had been linked with a move to Manchester United, according to the Manchester Evening News; however, they have now signed Bruno Fernandes.
Predominantly a defensive midfielder, the Frenchman has caught the attention of a number of clubs across Europe with his performances during the first half of this season.
His performances have helped Lille to sit seventh from 21 games in Ligue 1 so far this season. Soumare has, on average, made 1.1 tackles per game so far this season in the league.
Departures From St James’ Park Imminent?
According to Sean McCormick of the Newcastle Chronicle, there could be two departures from Newcastle United today.
One of those players could be Ki Sung-Yueng. The South Korean has featured just three times for Steve Bruce’s side so far this season and is looking unlikely to make his way into the starting line-up.
Furthermore, according to Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, Magpies winger Christian Atsu looks set to depart on loan, with several Championship clubs interested in signing him.
