Newcastle dealt Carlos Baleba blow - All eyes on Nico Gonzalez as Man Utd move in
Newcastle United's search for a new midfield general appears to be stepping up behind the scenes.
Last night, David Ornstein revealed that we're locked in talks with Man City over a move for Nico Gonzalez, just 24 hours after Sky Germany linked us with a move for RB Leipzig's Nicolas Seiwald.
This comes after Pierre Emile Hojbjerg and Joao Palhinha dominated the headlines last week. However, our attempts to land either one of the experienced duo are 'unlikely to progress', according to The Athletic.
This brings us to Carlos Baleba, who was first mentioned by The Mail's Craig Hope, before The Athletic confirmed that the Brighton star had been discussed internally in a recent piece. But, as today's headlines highlight, he's heading elsewhere.
Man Utd close in on Carlos Baleba
It looks like Carlos Baleba will not be signing for Newcastle United this summer, as Manchester United close in on a deal for the Cameroonian midfielder.
David Ornstein has revealed that the Red Devils are now closing in on a deal for the 22-year-old, despite offering below Brighton's asking price to this point.
Man Utd's latest offer - £60m plus £5m in add-ons - is just short of the Seagulls' demands, but talks are continuing and it's anticipated that a full agreement will be reached soon, with the player eager to complete a move to Old Trafford.
All eyes now on Nico Gonzalez?
It's easy to see why Newcastle liked Baleba, who is not only a physically dominant midfield spoiler, but also a player capable of carrying the ball forward and slotting into Jaissle's 4-2-3-1 system as a natural No.6.
Thankfully, it feels like we have other irons in the fire, one of whom appears to be Nico Gonzalez following ongoing talks with Man City.
The 24-year-old Spaniard won't come cheap, but he would offer the defensive know-how, class and technical ability we're crying out for in that area of the pitch.
Hopefully, Man City are prepared to let him go, even after Rodri's departure, and the player himself is up for the challenge of joining Jaissle's Mags after his recent lack of Premier League minutes at the Etihad.
