Newcastle United reportedly missed out on Sikou Niakate earlier this month.
According to Het Laatste Nieuws, Valenciennes defender Sikou Niakate is set to join Anderlecht just a fortnight after performing a U-turn on a possible move to Newcastle United.
The Magpies may not have splashed the cash, but they did have a fairly productive summer window as seven new signings arrived to boost Rafael Benitez’s squad.
Martin Dubravka, Fabian Schar, Federico Fernandez, Kenedy, Ki Sung-yueng, Yoshinori Muto and Salomon Rondon all arrived at St James’ Park, but Benitez did miss out on a host of targets.
One such player was Valenciennes defender Sikou Niakate, with Get French Football reporting earlier this month that he performed a U-turn over making a potential move to St James’ Park.
It’s stated that Niakate was initially told that he would be a first-team player with the Magpies, but once it become clear that Newcastle wanted him for their development squad initially, he rejected a move.
Now, Het Laatste Nieuws report that Niakate is undergoing a medical with Anderlecht, and is all set for a move to Belgium just to weeks since rejecting Newcastle.
Niakate – a 19-year-old defender capable of playing at centre back or left back – is allegedly seen as competition for new signing Antonio Milic, and Newcastle may choose to keep a close eye on him ahead of a future move.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
