Newcastle are understood to be in a ‘strong position’ to complete the signing of highly-rated Marseille defender Nicolas Nkoulou this summer, reports The Times.
The Cameroonian centre-back was a star performer for Marseille last season, but the Ligue 1 side narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification.
As a result, all the playing staff have received a 25% wage cut fixed into their contracts, which has caused an uproar, forcing several key players to look for moves away, including attacker Dimitri Payet, who’s signed for West Ham.
Marseille have an offer on the table already from Lyon of £7m, but are hoping they can attract offers from across The Channel for the 25-year-old.
Sunderland and Aston Villa are also mentioned by The Times as among the clubs interested in signing Nkoulou this summer, while West Ham have also been linked with a move for the player in recent weeks.
