Report: Newcastle will have to spend a record fee, north of £25m for Ligue 1 ace
Jeunes Footeux report that clubs will have to spend north of £25million to sign RC Lens star Seko Fofana, amid links to Newcastle United. Such a fee will be a club-record figure received by the Ligue 1 outfit.
Ivory Coast international Fofana, 26, has been on fire for Lens this season. Captaining his side in 13 of the 18 Ligue 1 outings he has played in, Fofana has scored five goals – including one against PSG.
His form has not gone unnoticed. Foot Mercato say that Newcastle are keen on signing Fofana, who spent time in England with Manchester City’s academy. He played 25 times during a loan spell at Fulham.
Ahead of the January window, Jeunes Footeux now report the figure it would take for them to sell their star player. They claim that a fee of £25million is needed, which would be his side’s most-expensive sale.
Indeed, that record currently stands at slightly less than £15million – in the form of Loic Balde joining Rennes. El-Hadji Diouf’s move to Liverpool is second, and Raphael Varane’s move to Real Madrid is third highest.
Newcastle eye Fofana: Is Lens star worth as much as £25m?
Probably not – but he is certainly not far from that figure. While he has only got five goals in 18 games – hardly groundbreaking form – it is his ability to get his team up the pitch.
A long stride, speed and stamina and a physicality about him, Fofana is certainly the kind of midfield presence Newcastle need. Ligue 1’s official website label him the ‘new Yaya Toure’.
If Newcastle could negotiate a fee between £15million and £20million, then it is a much fairer kind of deal. But the January window presents problems and if they may find to get players in, they might have to pay over the odds.
