Morocco international Hamza Mendyl has admitted that he received an offer from Newcastle United this summer.
The defender was courted by a whole host of clubs following an impressive season in Ligue 1 with LOSC Lille. Newcastle were believed to have been keen, but work permit issues denied Mendyl the chance to join an English club.
After plenty of speculation surrounding his future, it was confirmed that Bundesliga giants FC Schalke had completed a deal to sign the promising 20-year-old.
Reflecting on what was a hectic transfer window for himself, Mendyl spoke to Bild and admitted that he had proposals from both Newcastle and Arsenal regarding a potential transfer.
Yes, there were offers from Arsenal and Newcastle United. The clubs were interested. But being a Moroccan, it would not have been easy to get a work permit in England.
Mendyl plays typically on the left-hand side of the defence and it seems the Magpies had identified him as a player who could have provided Paul Dummett with competition in the role.
Nevertheless, issues surrounding Mendyl’s work permit prevented him from completing a switch to the Premier League, ruling out Newcastle and Arsenal’s respective interests.
