Newcastle United are already eyeing their first summer signing, as French reports suggest the club have made an early move to sign St Etienne centre-back, Mickael Nade – dubbed the ‘next Kurt Zouma’.
Nade, who only turned 18 on March 4th, is yet to play a first team game for the Ligue 1 side but has impressed in the youth ranks, captaining the U-19’s and appearing for the St Etienne second string. With the players contract coming to an end in the summer, it is believed that Newcastle are keen to sign the highly-rated Frenchman on a cut-price deal.
The signing of Nade would highlight the growing emphasis Benitez has placed on bringing exciting young talent at Newcastle, following the recent signings of Yasin El-Mhanni, Stuart Findlay, Tyrique Bartlett, Juanito & Victor Fernandez.