Lyon have made Aleksandar Mitrovic their number one attacking target this summer and are are set to step up their interest by lodging a £13.5m bid for the Serbian striker, according to The Northern Echo this morning.
The French giants had been targeting Borussia Monchengladbach star Thorgan Hazard – the younger brother of Eden – however have switched their attentions to Mitrovic after being told Hazard will not be sold for less than €25m.
A formal offer of €15m (£13.5m) is expected in the coming days, however The Echo claim Lee Charnley will demand at least €20m (£18m) for the 22-year old.
Mitrovic divides opinion, but his disappointing return of just 4 goals last season have seen several Newcastle fans urge the club to accept the initial offer of £13.5m and move him on.
Given the inflated market, it is easy to see why Charnley may attempt to try his luck, but we believe £13.5m is a generous offer for a player who struggled to score goals in the Championship last season – never mind £18m.
Benitez is set to receive ‘every penny’ from player sales, and £13.5m for Mitrovic – a player whose days at Newcastle look numbered – could be put towards a quality addition to the squad.
Mitro needs a run of games which he will not get in the Premier League under Rafa, so good luck to him and bet he gets 20 plus in France next season.
BillytheFish(Quote)
Buying and selling in today’s market is like playing poker. Worth trying to hold out when selling as well as buying. There will be a flurry of mad deals at the end of the window. Some cascading of players is inevitable. Let’s hope Rafa plays a good hand!
Ken(Quote)