Newcastle were linked with Mainz striker Jean-Philippe Mateta in the summer, but the Mail Online have reported Tottenham have an interest in bringing him to the Premier League.
L’Equipe in France went as far as claiming Newcastle had made a bid of up to €25 million, which was subsequently turned down as the Ligue 1 side were looking for in the region of €40m (£34.5m).
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That would be a huge sum of money for Newcastle to fork out, particularly after signing Joelinton for £40m, and it is doubtful that Newcastle would be able to shell out such an amount in January.
They may have hopes of revisiting a deal next summer, should they manage to avoid relegation, with an overhaul of the squad expected.
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But it may all become irrelevant if Mauricio Pochettino and Spurs firm up their interest.
Newcastle could not compete with Spurs for Mateta
Playing for one of England’s biggest clubs, the lure of Champions League football and moving to London would all mean a move to Spurs would be preferable to a move north for an annual battle against the drop.
While Lee Charnley elongates negotiations for players – haggling over every penny to make sure he saves a pound or two – Tottenham would be able to steam in with a cash bid while Newcastle were dithering, such is the huge gulf between the two clubs nowadays.
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Add to that the difference in approach to players’ wages, with Newcastle’s structure being minuscule in comparison with many other Premier League teams, then Newcastle would stand little to no chance of signing the talented striker.
At 22-years-old, Mateta is one of the top prospect in the French league, and would be quite a coup if Newcastle could have brought him to Tyneside.
But the opportunity to learn from a player like Harry Kane, and be groomed to follow in his footsteps would mean a Tottenham bid would blow any Newcastle interest out of the water.