Earlier this week, The Chronicle confirmed that Newcastle United scouts have been keeping a close eye on Ligue 1 goal-machine Boulaye Dia ahead of the January transfer window.
Since then, some pretty telling comments have emerged from both the players himself and Reims owner Jean-Pierre Caillot.
The latter has reluctantly admitted he’s given the player his word that he’ll be allowed to leave in January if the right offer arrives, while Dia has also revealed his Premier League ‘dream’ amid interest from Newcastle and Brighton.
Here’s what both have had to say, starting with Reims owner Jean-Pierre Caillot’s response to Top Mercato when asked about a possible January exit:
If he stays (beyond January), I would be delighted,
If he has an offer that suits him and us, too, I could not object because I gave him my word.
Dia – who has bagged an impressive eight goals in eight games for the Ligue 1 strugglers – has also done little to play down talk of a potential move to England.
Speaking about recent interest, he confirms that Brighton showed interest over the summer and that he ‘dreams’ of playing in the Premier League:
“Yes, there is a little truth to the Brighton story but an agreement couldn’t be reached between the clubs,”
“There were discussions but it didn’t go any further.
“I’d like to experience England and the Premier League – all players dream of playing in the Premier League one day, and I’m one of those players.
The Chronicle have confirmed our interest, with him said to be high Steve Nickson’s watchlist, however they do report that we’ll face competition from Brighton and Marseille heading into the January window.
Dia then discussed the timing of a possible move, insisting that players can easily get ‘lost’ if they leave for the Premier League too soon:
“There’s no point making the move just for the experience of it.
“You need to move when you’re ready, when you’ve proven yourself when you show consistency.
“You need to take your time and not move to England too quickly, otherwise, you’ll quickly get lost.”
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