Newcastle are in pole position to land highly-rated Lille star Boubakary Soumare after the price was dropped. It is bad news for the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United - who have also been scouting the midfielder.
Soumare has caught the attention as one of several players at Lille that have performed brilliantly, pushing the club to fourth in Ligue 1.
Despite being just 21, the youngster has been touted as one of the best talents in the league. The Magpies tried to land the Frenchman in January and placed a £35m bid, which Lille accepted.
But he wanted to wait until the summer and weigh up his options, with several other clubs in pursuit. According to Football Insider, though, Newcastle have won the race for the