Manager says NUFC ‘not an option’ despite loan offer & West Brom now ‘likely’ to sign Toon target

Neil Lennon claims Newcastle United are ‘no longer an option’ for Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham.

Sky Sports revealed on Saturday afternoon that we’d made an approach for the Frenchman, however the Hoops boss claims he is now in talks to join Marseille – with it reported he’ll sign for the Ligue 1 side on loan with an option to buy for just £4.5m.

Here’s an update on the 24-year-old from Sky’s Scottish correspondent Anthony Joseph after Lennon spoke out on Ntcham’s future this afternoon:

Neil Lennon has confirmed Celtic are in talks with Marseille about a move for Olivier Ntcham.

Newcastle are no longer said to be an option. https://t.co/PW8jiaexV9
— Anthony Joseph (@AnthonyRJoseph) February 1, 2021

Elsewhere, The Mirror claim Newcastle target Ainsley Maitland-Niles now looks likely to join West Brom, with Arsenal refusing to sell him to rivals Leicester and Southampton ‘pulling out’ of a deal for the 23-year-old.

Sky Sports’ Keith Downie has since confirmed that Steve Bruce retains an interest in the versatile midfielder who can also play at full-back, however it seems our move for Gunners teammate Joe Willock is ‘more advanced’ – not to mention the fact we couldn’t sign both on loan.

Here’s what Downie’s had to say following claims Maitland-Niles could now sign for relegation rivals West Brom:

A number of Premier League clubs are in the race to sign Ainslie Maitland-Niles. He’s a player Newcastle are interested in. But the move for Joe Willock is more advanced and there’s less competition. Newcastle can’t take both on-loan from Arsenal #NUFC
— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) February 1, 2021