Newcastle United sporting director Paul Mitchell is looking to Ligue 1 for his summer transfer plans.
Mitchell, who worked in France as the sporting director of Monaco for four years before being appointed to his role in the north east of England, is well-connected within the league and is preparing to use this to his advantage
Hefty transfer valuations applied by fellow Premier League clubs and the PSR landscape has made it increasingly difficult to conduct deals domestically; and we aren’t exactly strangers to signing from the French league.
Mitchell eyeing Ligue 1 gems
It’s believed sporting director Paul Mitchell will use his contacts in Ligue 1 to find bargains on the French market for Newcastle United.
According to The Chronicle, Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier in particular is a summer target being watched by scouts after another impressive season.
The 23-year-old is being considered as a potential alternative to James Trafford, who will no doubt attract plenty of interest despite ongoing talks that the Burnley stopper will end up on Tyneside this summer.
After three windows with no significant first team signings, it can only be a good thing for the club to keep their options open and prepare a ‘Plan B’ should top targets fail to sign.
Chevalier’s teammate Jonathan David is also on Newcastle’s radar along with Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, with Craig Hope revealing that Steve Nickson was at Anfield to watch both in Champions League action back in January.
David is a name that has been mentioned as a target for years, with the Canadian forward preparing to leave Lille on a free transfer this summer upon the expiry of his contract.
France a familiar market for Newcastle
Ligue 1 was a fruitful market for Newcastle back when Graham Carr was employed as the club’s chief scout and it’ll be interesting to see if Mitchell does utilise this talent pool as we work within PSR rules.
There were several gems who arrived from the French league, including Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye, while Yoan Gouffran, Mathieu Debuchy and Moussa Sissoko also offered real value for money at the time.
This could be a market to watch this summer. Ligue 1 is still full of talent despite the PSG monopoly and, with Mitchell’s contacts and no Premier League premium fee attached to negotiations, Newcastle could be in a strong position to land some bargains.
