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Newcastle may ‘go on the offensive’ in order to land Rennes striker Gaetan Laborde before the transfer window closes in just over two weeks’ time. The Magpies remain in the market for a new attacker, however Eddie Howe’s side reportedly face competition from Sevilla and Lille over the French forward.
The 28-year-old enjoyed the most productive season of his career last campaign, netting 20 goals and registering a further eight assists in 47 appearances for the Ligue 1 side. Laborde has also already opened his account for the new campaign, scoring in Rennes’ 1-1 draw with Monaco at the weekend.
The striker’s impressive displays have since seen him emerge as a reported target for a number of teams across Europe and it is believed Newcastle are among the Rennes’ star’s many admirers. According to Foot Mercato, the Magpies have been tracking Laborde ‘for several months’ and could now ‘go on the offensive’ in order to beat Sevilla and Lille, in particular, to the striker’s signing.
The French outlet claims it remains unclear whether any of Laborde’s suitors will act on their interest before the transfer window closes in the coming weeks. However, in the event that they do, Rennes are thought to have set their demands for the forward at around £20million.
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Following the Magpies’ goalless stalemate with Brighton on Saturday, Howe reiterated his desire to add more players to his ranks this summer, but admitted he faces a balancing act with regards to squad harmony. He said: “As I’ve said many times, we’re looking. We are aware that there are certain parts of the squad that we’d love to strengthen and give us more options.
“But that’s no reflection of anybody we currently have in our squad because I think we’ve shown that we love everybody within the group. There’s a very good feeling internally, within the dynamic of the team, so we desperately don’t want to harm that either.”
Uncertainty has been cast over Laborde’s future with Rennes following the recent arrival of Arnaud Kalimuendo from Paris Saint-Germain. The Ligue 1 outfit paid in the region of £21m for the highly-rated 20-year-old, who was also understood to have attracted strong interest from Leeds.
Despite being tipped to undertake a sizeable summer spending spree with the backing of their mega-money Saudi Arabian owners, Newcastle have made just three signings in the current window. Sven Botman arrived from Lille in a £35m deal and Nick Pope joined from relegated Burnley for around £10m, while the Magpies made Matt Targett’s loan move permanent for a further £15m.
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