Newcastle United are set to miss out on defender Loic Bade, who has agreed a move to Rennes.
According to L’Equipe, the star has agreed to move to the Ligue 1 side. He will pen a five-year deal.
Supposedly the transfer will cost around £17 million in total.
Bade has been making a name for himself over in France.
The talented 21-year-old made 33 first-team appearances for Lens. He has already drawn comparisons with Raphael Varane.
It was claimed recently that Newcastle had been eyeing a move for Bade.
The Magpies, AC Milan, Villarreal and Brighton were all claimed to be sniffing.
But it looks as though Rennes have won the race for Bade. The Toon will now need to focus on alternatives.
It is paramount Steve Bruce gets a new central defender in this summer.
Almost all of the current options are decent. But they are mostly in and around the age of 30.
Tosin Adarabioyo and Nat Phillips have been linked in recent weeks, as has Valencia star Mouctar Diakhaby.
Bade news for Newcastle…
Bade would have been a great addition for the Magpies.
France is having real success of late producing promising young centre-halves.
That Bade has come from Le Havre’s academy, which has previously produced the likes of Paul Pogba, Riyad Mahrez, Dimitri Payet and Benjamin Mendy. It is a further suggestion he could develop into a brilliant player in the years to come.
Ultimately, a £17 million transfer was probably not likely for Newcastle this summer.
Hopefully the club will find a decent alternative.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
