Newcastle United may not be able to land Eintracht Frankfurt’s Sebastien Haller.
Newcastle United need a goalscorer in January, and reports this week suggested that Rafael Benitez has found one he wants – but any hopes of a deal are already taking a hit.
The Magpies drew 0-0 with Southampton on Saturday afternoon, meaning they have failed to score in four of their last five games, and only Huddersfield Town have scored fewer goals this season.
With summer signings Salomon Rondon yet to score and Yoshinori Muto only on the scoresheet once, Benitez is looking for another hitman – and he appears to have found one.
The Northern Echo reported earlier this week that Eintracht Frankfurt striker Sebastien Haller is wanted by Newcastle in January, and has even become Benitez’s number one target when the market re-opens.
With seven goals and seven assists in 12 outings this season, Haller has been in stunning form for Frankfurt, and the Frenchman is now attracting major interest from the Magpies.
However, Newcastle’s hopes may already be taking a hit, as Buzzsport in France report that Lyon are also keen on Haller, and may make a January bid themselves as they prepare to challenge Benitez and co.
Lyon sold Mariano Diaz to Real Madrid in August, and whilst they landed Moussa Dembele from Celtic as a replacement, Frenchman Haller is now believed to be on their radar too.
The burly target man would surely break Newcastle’s £16m transfer record, but with Lyon most likely able to offer Champions League football for years to come, Newcastle – struggling in the Premier League relegation zone – may face an uphill task to land Benitez’s top target.
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