Newcastle United have now set their sights back on Ligue 1 in a move to bolster Eddie Howe’s midfield with the capture of Arsenal and Liverpool transfer target Seko Fofana from RC Lens.
According to journalist Robin Bairner (via GIVE ME SPORT), Newcastle United have joined the chase to sign £35 million-rated Ivorian midfield powerhouse Seko Fofana and could look to bring him to Tyneside next summer if his current club Lens does not keep pace with his ambitions of playing in the Champions League.
Fofana already has previous experience in English football, having spent time in England with Manchester City’s academy as a youngster and enjoyed a loan spell in the Championship with Fulham. He subsequently returned to France for another loan spell at Bastia before leaving the Etihad for good in 2016 to join Udinese after struggling to make a breakthrough in the Cityzens’ star-studded squad.
Since then, the ace has gone from strength to strength. After impressing in Serie A for four years with Udinese, he switched to Ligue 1 and has been at Lens for almost two-and-a-half years now, having joined the club in 2020. He has continued to shine in France and has become an ever-present figure in Lens’ engine room, racking up a total of 86 competitive appearances for them.
The Ivory Coast international is a real leader on the field and is the captain at Lens. His goal involvement record is also impressive for a central midfielder, with 15 goals and eight assists to his name during his time so far for Lens; he was also named in the Ligue 1 team of the year last season.
Lens got their ticket to the French top flight only three years ago, and Fofana has been integral to their amazing resurgence story, achieving back-to-back seventh-place finishes, narrowly missing out on Europa League spots on both occasions. They are now challenging PSG for the Ligue 1 crown, sitting second in the table, only three points adrift of the Parisians.
The 27-year-old was linked with a move to the Premier League over the summer, with St. James’ Park touted as a potential destination. Arsenal, though, were said to hold serious interest in him. However, Lens persuaded their captain to stay put, with the talismanic midfielder subsequently putting pen to paper on a four-year contract with the French club.
Despite Fofana’s decision to commit his long-term future to the Ligue 1 side, the Premier League’s interest hasn’t been fazed, with Liverpool recently credited with an interest in the enforcer, while Newcastle United have also been thrown into the mix as a possible destination.
The Magpies are now in a position to compete with some of the Premier League’s big guns in the transfer market. Eddie Howe has transformed them into serious European contenders, and they have the financial resources to pursue essentially any player. However, they have gone about it in a smart manner and have found gems in the market.
The French League has historically been a happy hunting ground for the Toon Army, signing the likes of Hatem Ben-Arfa, Cabaye, Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, and Allan Saint-Maximin more recently. They may try to repeat the trick by signing Fofana, who will be yet another shrewd signing if the Magpies can splash the cash on the versatile midfielder.
