Newcastle United have been chasing French defender Florian Lejeune for a number of weeks now, and it seems like they finalised a deal to bring him to England.
The Daily Express has reported that Newcastle United have triggered the release clause of the Eibar defender, which is believed to be £8.7million.
Furthermore, the sporting director of the La Liga club has spoken out on the matter, saying that he is not optimistic about keeping hold of the talented defender.
“I’m not very optimistic,” he said, speaking to Spanish media outlet Marca.
“I see that it will be very difficult for Lejeune to stay. We are worried that Newcastle are taking very strong steps.”
Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez is determined to bring in his transfer targets as early as possible as he aims to build a squad capable of competing in the Premier League.
The Spanish manager masterminded his side to the Sky Bet Championship title last season, but feels that experience needs to be added to his current squad.
Florian Lejeune has had a spell in England previously, although he has never made a professional appearance here.
The French defender joined Manchester City in 2015, but was loaned straight back to Spain, where he joined Girona, before being sold to current club Eibar the following season.
He joined the Spanish club for an undisclosed fee, and made 37 appearances for them this season.
Premier League side Arsenal were also reported to be interested in signing Lejeune, but as first team opportunities would be limited at the Emirates, he is expected to join the Magpies instead.
