As things stand, there is a big question mark in Steve Bruce’s squad, and that’s the future of Valentino Lazaro.
The Austria international arrived on loan from Inter back in January and while he was slowly integrated before the Covid-19 break, he has come into his own over the past few weeks.
That suggests he could end up staying longer than first thought, but it appears Newcastle United are, alongside Southampton, preparing for the scenario of him returning to Italy by looking at Bouna Sarr in France.
The Saints aren’t exactly blessed with many options in the right-back role either, as Cédric Soares completed his move to Arsenal, leaving Ralph Hasenhüttl with Yan Valery and Tottenham loanee Kyle Walker-Peters.
According to L’Equipe, both Newcastle and Southampton ‘took information’ about Sarr’s situation at Marseille, where he has successfully converted from his right-wing position to a more defensive role, enjoying the trust of André Villas-Boas throughout the 2019-20 campaign.
The Ligue 1 side would be open to a sale, and are hoping of getting €15m as the 28-year-old remains an important member of their squad, but he’s currently valued at €10-12m.
If Newcastle and Southampton are still interested, they would need to compete with some big names, as Arsenal, Real Betis, Sevilla and Atlético Madrid all like his profile too.
He’s certainly affordable, but we’ll have to wait and see which league he prefers too.
