Newcastle United and West Ham United are believed to be scrapping it out for the signature of Nantes midfielder Ludovic Blas.
That’s according to Football Transfers, who claim that Newcastle actually held talks to sign Blas during the January transfer window.
Newcastle focused on Jesse Lingard but seemingly made Blas a backup target, with no January move materialising for either player.
Newcastle are still keen on Blas, but West Ham are now believed to be joining the race too.
It’s suggested that Blas will cost around €20million (£17million) with Nantes seemingly open to selling this summer as long as they bring in a considerable fee.
Blas, 24, has racked up 12 goals and two assists this season, providing a real threat in front of goal.
Primarily a number 10, Blas can also play on the right flank, cutting inside onto his stronger left foot.
Technically impressive and with a great shot on him, Blas isn’t the fastest player around but makes up for it with his ability on the ball.
Newcastle seemingly fancied signing a versatile attacking midfield player by going for Lingard, with Blas certainly fitting the bill.
West Ham do already have a host of players in those areas though, with Jarrod Bowen, Andriy Yarmolenko, Pablo Fornals, Said Benrahma and Nikola Vlasic all in contention.
The biggest praise for Blas came from former Liverpool midfielder Pedro Chirivella, who plays alongside Blas with Nantes.
Speaking to SoFoot, Chirivella claimed that he would put Blas above the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
Chirivella claims Blas is ‘incredible’ and ‘spectacular’, showing technical ability that makes the Spaniard think of Blas as a top-tier talent.
That kind of verdict is hugely exciting for Newcastle and West Ham, who may now feel that £17million could end up being something of a bargain.
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