Newcastle United have been linked with the Eibar defender for much of the summer but still no deal has been struck.
As reported by the Chronicle last week, Newcastle United’s negotiations regarding the potential transfer of Florian Lejeune were going slower than previously envisaged, but nearly a week on from that report the Magpies still seem no closer to an official announcement.
So just how worried should Newcastle fans be? After all, in theory this should be the easiest deal they strike all summer, with the player having an £8.7million release clause and seemingly eager to make the move.
The latest delay appears to be regarding how Newcastle will pay the fee, but surely they can simply fork out the ful amount in a lump sum and move on to other, far more complex deals.
If the Newcastle hierarchy are dallying over a move for a defender whose price tag is clear and who costs less than the latest installment Tottenham Hotspur have paid for Moussa Sissoko, what on earth is taking them so long?
It does not bode well for the rest of the transfer window; one in which Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez will be well aware of the importance of strengthening in key areas.
Not all the Magpies’ targets will have bargain release clauses, and as this story begins to look more like a saga, it is becoming somewhat alarming.
Newcastle need new players in a number of different positions, not least up front and in the centre of the park.
They should have wrapped up a deal for Lejeune weeks ago and swiftly moved on, not stretched things out to such an extent that other targets could be lost in the process.
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