According to reports from The Express this morning, Newcastle have launched an official £12million bid for Monaco defender Aymen Abdennour.
The 25 year-old was in good form for the French outfit last season, averaging 1.3 tackles, 2.2 interceptions and 2.4 successful aerial duels per match from his 18 Ligue 1 outings, and also boasts 33 caps for Tunisia.
Monaco are holding a bit of a firesale at the moment in an effort to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations – with Geoffrey Kondogbia joining Inter Milan for £25million earlier this week and rumours of their intentions to cash in on Joao Moutinho – and Abdennour could be the next in line for an abrupt departure.
The 6 foot 2 centre-back has already been linked with Arsenal, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, with agent Abdelkader Jilani claiming the Anfield outfit have already contacted Monaco regarding a summer transfer. He also believes they wouldn’t be too concerned to see Abdennour leave Stade Louis II after just 18 months.
But according to The Express, who cite French publication Foot Mercato, Newcastle have stolen a march on their Premier League rivals by launching an official £12million bid.
However, Monaco are expected to hold out for at least £15million, knowing there’s widespread interest in a player they signed (after a successful loan move) for £11.5million last summer.