Newcastle United have turned their attention to signing Paris Saint-Germain left-back Stanley N’Soki and talks over a deal are underway, according to a Sky Sports journalist.
The broadcaster’s north-east correspondent Keith Downie reported on his personal Twitter account on Thursday afternoon that manager Rafael Benitez is keen to land the defender by the transfer window cut-off.
Downie explained that N’Soki, who has been capped by France at Under-20s level, would cost around £7million.
Understand Rafa Benitez wants to bring in PSG’s French U20 left-back Stanley N’Soki – and talks have taken place. He’d cost Newcastle around £7m. However as Benitez admitted in Portugal last night, he has “no idea” if any transfers are close.
— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) August 2, 2018
Good move for Newcastle United?
Many fans will claim the left-back position should not be a priority given the presence of the reliable Paul Dummett. But the team need cover in the full-back positions and N’Soki could be a smart acquisition. Many fans will wonder why the club won’t pay the £6million asking price for Joe Bryan but are willing to fork out £7million for a 19-year-old Frenchman with just one senior PSG appearance to his name. It is a fair point, too. N’Soki has pedigree and is a youth international, but he appears way down the pecking order at the French champions and the fee appears a bit steep.
This Is Futbol rating 4/10
Likely to happen?
When it comes to Newcastle and signing players, one thing is sure: a deal is never done until the paperwork is finalised and the player is announced by the official club channels. Benitez has made no attempt to hide his frustration at the multiple deals that have fallen through after extensive work by himself and the club’s recruitment team. Given that talks are underway and the fee is within the Magpies’ range, this appears a deal that is highly possible.
This Is Futbol rating 7/10