Aston Villa have joined Newcastle in the race to sign OGC Nice midfielder Wylan Cyprien, a report from French outlet Foot Mercato has claimed.
It was recently reported that Newcastle are interested in a move for Cyprien, who Nice are apparently willing to sell this summer, and it now seems as though the Magpies are not the only club interested in bringing the Frenchman to the Premier League.
According to the latest reports, Villa have now made opening offer for the 25-year-old, as they look to beat the Magpies to Cyprien’s signature.
It is thought that the Midlands club have offered £16million for the midfielder, who they believe has the capability of improving significantly should he make the move to the Premier League.
Newcastle themselves are said to be willing to pay a small fee upfront for Cyprien, with the option of a big sell-on fee for the former France youth international.
Should this prove to be the case, it will certainly be interesting to see how this particular transfer battle plays out.
You feel that Nice would probably prefer to receive the majority of that fee upfront, given the immediate financial security that should give them, potentially putting Aston Villa in pole position in the race for Cyprien.
As a result, you wonder whether that could prompt Newcastle to alter their approach as in their pursuit of Cyprien, given it does look as they still need to strengthen to their squad in the current window, and Cyprien’s top-flight experience could certainly do that.