Transfer Deadline Day: Premier League club's €45m bid for Boubakary Soumare rejected by player
According to reports in France, Newcastle United have bid a sum of €45m plus €10m in bonuses for LOSC Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumaré. The Magpies currently sit 14th on the Premier League table with a total of 30 points from their 24 games so far. The report suggests that although Lille have accepted the offer tabled by Newcastle, the player has rejected the offer in order to complete the season with Lille.
Furthermore, the report also states that Soumare has his heart set on a particular top 6 club in England. This goes hand in hand with the player constantly being liked with moves to clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester United who have are reportedly interested in the player.
Soumare has been one of the most impressive youngsters in the French top-flight so far this season and the 20-year-old was initially set to leave Ligue 1 in the winter, but has now seemingly changed his mind. Having played 19 times for Lille in the league, he has been pivotal for the club who sit 7th in Ligue 1 with 31 points from their 21 games so far.
What's interesting, though, is that when a Twitter user asked reliable French journalist Mohamed Bouhafsi whether the club in question is Manchester United, he responded with a cryptic tweet suggesting that a move to Old Trafford could be on the cards.
With Paul Pogba's departure from Manchester United in the summer looking likelier with each passing day, a move for Soumare could possibly be lined up as a replacement.