Newcastle United are yet to fully flex their financial muscle this summer but that could all be about to change as they prepare to hijack West Ham United’s £30million bid for Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd ahead of next season.
The Magpies are intent on adding to their central defensive options and after already losing out on long-term target Diego Carlos to Aston Villa last month, while a fee for Lille’s Sven Botman is yet to be agreed, they have now added Aguerd to the top of their wish list.
And according to the Daily Star, Newcastle are trying to hijack West Ham’s move for the defender at the 11th hour, despite the player being set for a medical in east London.
As per the report, Aguerd has been lined up as West Ham’s marquee signing this summer and the Hammers are hopeful of landing him by the end of this week, but Newcastle have since taken a liking to the 26-year-old and will do all they can to steal him away from the London outfit.
The Moroccan international received plenty of praise for his performances for Rennes last season, in which he made 40 appearances in all competitions and recorded four goals and three assists, as the French outfit finished fourth in Ligue 1 to qualify for the UEFA Europa League group stage next campaign.
Aguerd was also part of the side that reached the last 16 of the Europa Conference League. He scored in both legs of their play-off round fixture against Rosenborg and helped them top their group ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, before they bowed out to Leicester City in the last 16 following a 3-2 aggregate defeat.
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The Moroccan is valued at £30m by his current club and still has three years left remaining on his current contract after signing from fellow French club Dijon back in 2020 for a fee believed to be in the region of €4m-€5m, in which he has become one of the Rennes star assets since his arrival.
And despite West Ham growing closer to securing his signature, the Magpies are prepared to hijack that deal. With their endless amounts of cash at hand, David Moyes and co. are beginning to sweat over the danger of losing out on one of their top targets to the richest club in the world.
But Eddie Howe’s side will need to move quick if they are to prize him away from the Irons this week, with it being reported that Aguerd has already flown in for a medical with the east London outfit as he prepares to sign on the dotted line at the London Stadium for next season.
Newcastle signed Dan Burn from Brighton & Hove Albion in the January transfer window to reinforce their leaky defence, while Swiss defender Fabian Schar has signed a new deal at the club following his resurgence in the second half of last season as the Magpies finished 11th.
But the Saudi owners have ambitions for the Tyneside outfit to continue their rise up the league table next season and are looking to bring in top quality players in order to achieve those goals, in which they are expected to spend a large sum of money as a result.
The Magpies are already competing with West Ham for the permanent signing of Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Alphonso Areola, who spent last season on loan with the Hammers, and they could now be set to beat their Premier League rivals to the signing of both players.
