Premier League pair Newcastle United and Brentford are looking to hijack Rennes’ potential £12 million deal for FC Midtjylland midfielder Jens Cajuste, as reported by RMC Sport.
The Danish Superliga giants could hardly have found themselves in a worse position with just over 24 hours until Tuesday’s crucial Champions League qualification clash with Celtic.
Three of their key players, Sory Kaba, Frank Onyeka and Sweden international Cajuste, were nowhere to be seen during Friday’s 2-1 defeat to OB and are expected to be conspicuous by their absence in Glasgow too.
Will Midtjylland lose Jens Cajuste to Newcastle or Brentford?
Kaba is a target for Swansea City, Middlesbrough and Watford while Onyeka could be on his way to Brentford (Sky).
The latter, a 23-year-old Nigerian international, is not the only Midtjylland player on Brentford’s hitlist either.
RMC believe that fellow midfielder Cajuste has admirers at the play-off winners too, with Newcastle also in the race.
It is understood that Ligue 1 outfit Rennes have failed with an opening £9 million bid.
Midtjylland want closer to £12 million for the Swedish schemer and, with Rennes under pressure to sell before they can buy, the Brittany-based outfit find themselves locked in limbo.
The door has swung open for both Newcastle and Brentford, then, with the 21-year-old Gothenburg-born Cajuste seemingly looking for a fresh start after three seasons in Denmark.
Cajuste, who featured for Sweden at Euro 2020, is a deep-lying midfielder renowned for his all-action style. The fact that he accumulated ten yellow cards in 39 games should tell you a lot about a player whose energy and tenacity would be well received in the Premier League.
Newcastle have been looking for an aggressive, ball-winner in the Cajuste mould for a while now, with Boubacar Kamara, Will Hughes and even Cardiff City’s Will Vaulks mentioned as potential targets.
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