Newcastle have received a boost in their pursuit of Eibar defender Florian Lejeune after the sporting director of the Spanish club claimed the player is expected to move to England.
The Magpies have reportedly been on the hunt to secure the signing of the French centre-back, 26, with the Mirror reporting last week that Rafael Benitez’s side were on the verge of a £10million deal.
However, the talks between the two clubs have been progressing slowly, with the Northern Echo claiming yesterday that boss Benitez demanded immediate talks with Newcastle chief executive Lee Charnley over the club’s transfer dealings.
However, it appears that a breakthrough is close, with Newcastle United editor for the Chronicle and the Sunday Sun Mark Douglas reporting that Eibar’s sporting director Fran Garagarza says that the player looks set to move to England.
Douglas quoted Garagarza on his personal Twitter account as saying Newcastle’s interest is “serious”:
Gargaza on Lejeune. #nufc 'serious'. "The English are showing their interest and we fear that it will not continue with us."
— Mark Douglas (@MsiDouglas) June 27, 2017
The Chronicle also quoted Garagarza as saying: “Right now all the roads point to England.”
Former Manchester City man Lejeune made 37 appearances for Eibar last season, with his versatility meaning he appeared in central midfield as well as his preferred centre-back role.
His arrival at St James’ Park would be the second signing of the summer for Benitez, after the Spanish boss activated a clause to turn Christian Atsu’s loan spell from Chelsea into a permanent move.
However, the Daily Mail have claimed that Benitez was considering his future at the club due to the lack of transfer activity, which has seen them miss out on top targets such as Tammy Abraham.