Newcastle are set to miss out on another rumoured transfer target, as FC Lorient ace Alexis Claude-Maurice has told L’Equipe that he is chasing a European dream this summer.
United have just seen one attacking option taken off the board by Aston Villa completing a deal for the now-former Club Brugge forward Wesley Moraes, who had been extensively linked with a switch to either St James’ Park or SS Lazio before he joined the recently-promoted Birmingham outfit.
It then emerged that we had been connected with the growing swarm of clubs circling on the Stade du Moustoir, where President Loic Fery had slapped a €20million (£17.8m) asking price on Claude-Maurice following a £14million approach from Arsenal.
The Gunners, West Ham United nor we are where the France U20 international wishes to continue his career, though, as he has now revealed that he does not see his future in England, and would instead opt for Germany if Borussia Monchengladbach come to his door.
“I wanted to go up [to Ligue 1] with my training club [Lorient],” Claude-Maurice told L’Equipe. “Now, I feel like it’s time to leave, to join a club that is playing at a higher level.
“I want to join Monchengladbach. It is a club that relies on young people, there is a good structure, [and] the team will play in the Europa League. This project pleases me and suits me.”
21-year-old Claude-Maurice played most of the recent campaign on the left-flank of Mickael Landreau’s Les Merlus, making 24 appearances at either left-midfielder or left-wing. He also scored eight of his 14 goals in either of those positions, while adding a further six to his record acting as his side’s central attacking midfielder or striker.