Newcastle United are expecting Real Madrid to make a formal bid for Moussa Sissoko and, resigned to his departure, hope a deal can be pushed through swiftly.
Sissoko’s replacement has already been lined up, with Mohamed Diamé, the Senegal midfielder, undergoing a medical on Tyneside yesterday before a €5.35 million move from Hull City after Newcastle activated a release clause in his contract.
The €41.6m price tag on Sissoko may slow things down but it appears Madrid may offer the Championship club two young players, most probably Mariano Diaz and Marcos Llorente, on season-long loans in order to make a deal more attractive.
Real are aware Sissoko – who is back training with Newcastle – is also being tracked by Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Everton, West Bromwich and Crystal Palace but understand the player has set his heart on a switch to Spain.
Under Mike Ashley’s ownership, Newcastle have resisted loan moves and part exchanges but having started last season in charge of Real Madrid, Rafael Benítez may be keen to add two youthful talents he knows well.
While Mariano, a powerful 23-year-old striker who scored against Chelsea in a pre-season tournament last week, could fill a vacancy in attack, Llorente is a 21-year-old former Spain youth playmaker.
The Madrid coach, Zinédine Zidane, is said to have particularly high hopes for Mariano, who scored 30 goals in 40 B team appearances last season, but feels he needs to go out on loan to gain experience.
A medical
Benítez is radically reshaping Newcastle and
Ciaran Clark
joined Diamé in undergoing a medical yesterday after the board activated the €6m release clause in the Aston Villa defender’s contract. Clark’s versatility – he can play centre-half, left-back or central midfield – appeals to Benítez but his impending departure is believed to have dismayed Villa manager Roberto Di Matteo.
Also leaving Villa is Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye who has joined Everton on a four-year deal. The 26-year-old, who joined Villa from French side Lille last season, made 38 appearances for the Midlands team, who were relegated from England’s top-flight last season. No financial details were disclosed but it is thought the deal was worth €8.3million.
Guardian Service
