Newcastle have enquired about signing Nice midfielder Wylan Cyprien - with Tottenham also believed to be interested in the Frenchman.
A move for the 24-year-old wouldn't come cheap, however, with the French club valuing their man at around the £20m mark.
But according to The Daily Mail, Steve Bruce is set to tell Mike Ashley he needs to sanction another big-money signing if he is to improve Newcastle's team and ultimately, help them stay up. The owner is expected on Tyneside for a rather belated transfer summit - with supporters once again left frustrated by Ashley, questioning why a meeting was not arranged sooner than mid-January.
With the Magpies in the midst of what can only be described as an injury crisis at the moment, manager and owner are set to discuss potential incomings - with Newcastle just five points off the relegation zone after picking up one point from their last four Premier League outings.
And with Jonjo Shelvey nursing a hamstring injury, it looks like one of the areas to target this month will be central midfield - with Cyprien seemingly high up on the club's wishlist.
Following his breakout campaign in Ligue 1 with Nice in 2016/17 - his first season with the club - where scored eight and set up three from midfield, Cyprien endured a rather mundane couple of years before flourishing again under Patrick Vieira this season.
The attack-minded player has eight goals and three assists in 21 domestic appearances this season, establishing himself as a key component of the Nice side once again.
The Frenchman would certainly bring something different to this Newcastle team - one that has been reliant on their stout defence and breakaway pace of Allan Saint-Maximin (formerly of Nice) and Miguel Almiron. Cyprien would add dynamism to the Magpies' midfield while also providing a little more creativity from central areas, not forgetting that he has an eye for goal as well.
They, of course, won't be alone in their pursuit of the Nice man, with Spurs also believed to hold a longstanding interest in the 24-year-old as they go about bolstering their midfield options.
Source :
90min
