Cast your mind back to the summer, and you’ll remember Newcastle United being heavily linked with a move for Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumarè.
The Magpies had come close to securing the highly-rated Frenchman back in January and, after failing to get a deal over the line, came back strongly in the summer.
Indeed, there were several reports of big bids from Newcastle being rejected by Lille, who weren’t keen on selling one of their star players.
Well, things have taken a bit of a turn for the worst at the French club since then, with it well documented they are in dire financial straits.
Soumarè is one of those that may be put up for sale, and that’s led to several suitors emerging, one of them being AC Milan.
Calciomercato report on that today, stating the player is one that Milan ‘really likes’ after they have followed him for several months.
He was a player they tried to get in the summer with Frederic Massara and Paolo Maldini offering Lille a ‘very expensive loan’ with a right to buy and various bonuses.
That was rejected by Lille, who had also outright refused a €35m ‘super offer’ from Newcastle.
Things have now changed, though, with the player now ‘no longer an untouchable’ for the Ligue 1 side and the difficult financial situation meaning he is not ‘unsellable’ anymore.
This is why Milan are considering a new attempt to get him, with it believed that it will take at least €25m to get the green light for a transfer.
That’s a significant drop from the past and a fee that may arouse Newcastle’s interest once again.
Of course, any deal would require Mike Ashley loosening the purse strings, which is a whole different proposition itself.
