Newcastle United have reportedly joined the race to sign Maxwel Cornet and are ready to trigger the £17.5 million release clause in his Burnley contract.
According to talkSPORT, Newcastle United are stepping up their pursuit of Burnley attacker Maxwel Cornet and are prepared to trigger the £17.5 million release clause in his deal to prise him away from the Championship outfit, with Eddie Howe keen on signing the versatile forward.
Newcastle United are looking at bringing in a couple of signings before the end of the summer transfer window. And they want to bolster their attacking options, having already capped off their defensive recruitment by signing Sven Botman. But a move for Hugo Ekitike fell through earlier this summer, with the French striker joining Paris Saint-Germain instead.
Despite their newfound riches, Newcastle United have been priced out of deals for the likes of Moussa Diaby, Jack Harrison, and Anthony Gordon. Recent reports have claimed that high-profile names such as Timo Werner, Memphis Depay, and Nicolas Pepe have all been offered to Newcastle in recent weeks, with the Magpies presently assessing their options.
Their search seems to have taken them to Burnley, a familiar fishing ground for the Toon, who have recently scooped up Chris Wood and Nick Pope. They have now set their sights on Maxwel Cornet, who was relegated to the EFL Championship with the Clarets last season as the club’s top scorer with nine goals despite missing a fair chunk of the season through injury.
?? #Newcastle want to speed up things for Maxwel #Cornet and are ready to trigger the release clause set at around €20M. ⚫⚪
? #NUFC's aim is to beat the competition of the other #EPL clubs for the #Burnley left-winger. ?⚽#Transfers #Calciomercato pic.twitter.com/T7luxj0Msn
— Rudy Galetti (@RudyGaletti) July 29, 2022
Despite Burnley’s well-documented struggles and eventual relegation, Cornet enjoyed a fairly impressive debut campaign in the Premier League following his surprise £13 million move from Lyon last summer. A relegation clause in his contract means he can leave the Clarets for a bargain fee of around £17.5 million this summer.
Such a situation has sparked interest from a host of Premier League clubs, including Everton and Nottingham Forest. The Toffees were planning to take Cornet on loan with an option to buy him next summer in the event of their Premier League survival this coming season. But Burnley prefer a permanent sale.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest were willing to pay the required amount but failed to agree on personal terms with the 25-year-old, leaving the door open for Newcastle United to steal the march. If Cornet does complete the switch to St. James’ Park, he will be reunited with one of his former Lyon teammates in Bruno Guimaraes.
The versatile forward has already demonstrated his ability to play on the right side and through the middle. At just 25, Cornet still has his peak years ahead of him and already has loads of top-level experience. He could excel even more in Howe’s system thanks to his turn of pace, athleticism, and finishing prowess. Whether Newcastle can get a deal over the line for the Ivory Coast international in the coming days remains to be seen.
