German sportswear giants Puma could aid Newcastle United in a summer pursuit of Olympique de Marseille ace Morgan Sanson, a year after the Toon were offered the midfielder’s services.
French publication Buzz Sport have suggested that it ‘is not impossible’ for Puma to help the club acquire the French midfielder at the close of the campaign, as the 25-year-old’s future destination is of great interest to the brand who supply our kits.
United are said to harbour an interest in bringing Sanson to St. James’ Park once the 2019/20 season is concealed to the pages of history, while Puma could provide Managing Director Lee Charnley with a sly financial boost by supplementing some of the fee that Marseille would demand.
Claims across the channel back in January suggested Marseille would request in excess of €35million (£30.3m) for Sanson, having turned down an offer from West Ham United whilst Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers were also monitoring his situation.
Our interest in signing Sanson is not overly new, either, as transfer columns were filled with speculation linking Sanson with a move to the North East of England or to the London Stadium or Molineux last June.
Back then, it was suggested that Marseille had offered Sanson’s services to the three clubs, as Les Phoceens strived to find a way out of their financial struggles that emerged after missing out on qualification for European football and could cash in on the Premier League intrigue.
Would you welcome Sanson to St. James' Park?
Yes
No
Now, further potential rival clubs could be on the scene – even with Puma’s backing – as reports last month suggested Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti is keen to beat Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur to the former U21 international’s signature.
Sanson has featured in 29 of Marseille’s 32 fixtures across all competitions this season, with two of his games on the sidelines coming as a result of accumulating too many yellow cards in the early weeks of the campaign.
The Saint-Doulchard-ace has also started 28 of his outings this term, and helped toward eight goals (four scored, four assisted) in Ligue 1 – including a personal strike against Champions League qualification hopefuls LOSC Lille.
Marseille are currently in the prime seat to secure France’s second Champions League spots behind run-away Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain, with the Orange Velodrome side eight points clear of third-placed Stade Rennais with 11 games to play.
Should Andre Villas-Boas guide Marseille into UEFA’s premier club competition, it could take more than Puma’s backing for Charnley to bring Sanson to St. James’ Park.
In other Newcastle United news, a young Toon talent is willing to wait until the summer before deciding his future.