NUFC braced for £13.5m bid from French giants - club set £18m asking price
Lyon have made Aleksandar Mitrovic their number one attacking target this summer and are are set to step up their interest by lodging a £13.5m bid for the Serbian striker, according to The Northern Echo this morning.
The French giants had been targeting Borussia Monchengladbach star Thorgan Hazard - the younger brother of Eden - however have switched their attentions to Mitrovic after being told Hazard will not be sold for less than €25m.
A formal offer of €15m (£13.5m) is expected in the coming days, however The Echo claim Lee Charnley will demand at least €20m (£18m) for the 22-year old.
Mitrovic divides opinion, but his disappointing return of just 4 goals last season have seen several Newcastle fans urge the club to accept the initial offer of £13.5m and move him on.
Given the inflated market, it is easy to see why Charnley may attempt to try his luck, but we believe £13.5m is a generous offer for a player who struggled to score goals in the Championship last season - never mind £18m.
Benitez is set to receive 'every penny' from player sales, and £13.5m for Mitrovic - a player whose days at Newcastle look numbered - could be put towards a quality addition to the squad.
