We are preparing a second offer for Nice forward Alassane Plea, according to the Northern Echo.
Our first bid fell well short of the Ligue One side’s £27m asking price, and they are reportedly unprepared to lower their demands.
The club will try to tempt them with an improved offer, but they will face competition from three other teams in West Ham, Fulham and Borussia Monchengladbach.
The Daily Telegraph report that the Hammers have tabled a better deal than the Magpies, so we will likely have to up our bid to match or better our Premier League rival’s offer.
As our interest in Plea intensifies, I set up a poll yesterday to see whether supporters think we should meet Nice’s demands for the forward. The majority said we should spend £27m on the 21-goal striker:
It would break our transfer record by a significant margin, but with Aleksandar Mitrovic expected to be sold to Fulham for £20m, and Matt Ritchie also tipped to leave, there should be enough money to make the deal happen. My major concern would be whether the club can match bids from rival clubs for Plea. What do you think? Do you agree with fans about breaking the bank for the Frenchman? Let me know in the comments.