Newcastle United, Everton and Fulham are unwilling to pay €15 million to land Marseille star Bamba Dieng.
According to Foot Mercato, the Premier League trio of Newcastle United, Everton, and Fulham are all unwilling to fork out the €15 million needed to land Olympique Marseille star Bamba Dieng.
The 22-year-old is one of Ligue 1’s promising talents and has been impressive for Marseille since moving to the club permanently last summer. However, he does not appear to be a part of Igor Tudor’s plans and is free to leave the Stade Velodrome.
With the summer transfer window set to slam shut in just over a fortnight, time is running out for interested parties to make their move. This is particularly true in the case of the English trio Newcastle, Everton and Fulham.
The Magpies have largely concentrated on strengthening their defence this summer. An attacker is, however, on the agenda, and landing Dieng will give Eddie Howe’s side a long-term prospect to nurture and develop. An excellent finisher who often thrives in counter-attacking systems, the Senegalese international has what it takes to become a mainstay at St James Park.
The same can be said of Everton, who lost star striker Richarlison earlier in the summer. Not only have the Toffees failed to replace the Brazilian but are also without Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is currently out injured. This leaves Frank Lampard with just Salomon Rondon and the young Anthony Gordon to choose from, hardly a fear-inducing attack.
Fulham already have a reliable number nine in Aleksandar Mitrovic. The 27-year-old is a prolific goalscorer and can be a nuisance to rival defences on his day. Bringing another young striker to function alongside him will give Marco Silva’s side more options. The Cottagers played scintillating football last season, but the attack is overly reliant on Mitrovic. Adding an alternative would be a good move.
Marseille appear ready to do business for €15 million, a reasonable price given Dieng’s potential. Given the asking price and the player’s potential, it is surprising that no club has taken a punt on him yet, with all three aforementioned teams unwilling to meet that valuation. With the English clubs being non-committal, there could be a chance that some teams from Ligue 1 could make a swoop.
