Galatasaray beat Newcastle United to Badou N’Diaye in the summer but the Premier League giants aren’t willing to accept defeat just yet.
With the January transfer window just a month and a half away, Newcastle United fans will be desperate for the club to have new owners in place by the time the gongs ring out on New Year’s Day.
After all, it appears that Rafa Benitez’s side have drawn up some expensive January plans – ones that current owner Mike Ashley simply does not appear able, or willing, to finance.
Newcastle will have to pay big to land prolific Turkish striker Cenk Tosun from Besiktas with the club’s president wanting over £20 million, per Goal – a fee that would make the 26-year-old Newcastle’s record signing.
And Turkish publication Sporx is reporting that another star of the Super Lig is on the radar of the Tyneside giants. Badou N’Diaye was linked heavily with Newcastle over the summer with Sky Sports reporting in July that they, as well as Everton, West Ham and Crystal Palace, were interested in a player who netted 17 times in two seasons from midfield for Osmanlispor.
In the end, Galatasaray beat the English quartet to the Senegalese international. After less than half a season with the Istanbul side, however, Sporx claims that both Newcastle and Leicester City are ‘hooked’ on N’Diaye – even though the 27-year-old is yet to score in ten Super Lig appearances for Gala.
It is understood that N’Diaye is valued at around £18 million by his new club – meaning Galatasaray will earn a big profit if the dynamic midfielder leaves as early as January.
If Newcastle genuinely want to bring N’Diaye to England at the second time of asking and add a much-needed goal threat to their midfield, they will have to find some way to stump up a club-record fee.
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