Newcastle are said to be stepping up their bid to bolster the attack for the coming season.
With their current striker Papiss Cisse looking likely of a departure after his refusal to wear the side’s shirt for next season, as it features a sponsor which goes against his Muslim beliefs, the North-East side are now looking for potential replacements.
Aston Villa’s Darren Bent and Queens Park Rangers’ Loic Remy are two strikers that have been ever-linked to the Magpies this summer, but still no official bid has been made.
Olympique Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis and Olympique Marseille’s Andre-Pierre Gignac are two names who have recently been enquired about by the club.
‘The Lyon president has said we’re involved with Gomis – and I can confirm we are. Bafetimbi is a player we think could do very well for us.’ – Newcastle manager Alan Pardew.
When reflecting back on last season, Pardew admitted the side were lacking in attacking options which led to a disappointing Premier League campaign.
After the sale of Demba Ba to Chelsea, Newcastle were lacking a real goal threat with Cisse out of form. The Magpies have currently been scouting out a host of French talent from Ligue One.
While the side have finally made bid for both of their French targets, they will be hoping to procure the signature of £8M-rated Gomis. The 27-year old scored 16 goals in 37 league games last season, and has vast amounts of experience from his time playing in the Europa League and Champions League. He’s said to be number one on the shortlist.
Andre Gignac, also 27, scored 13 goals in 31 league games for Marseille. His asking price is said to be around £5M. The striker has also played Europa League football this season and is hoping he can force his way back into the France national team for the 2014 World Cup.
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