Juventus have earmarked Moussa Sissoko as their preferred replacement for Paul Pogba and face competition from Everton for the £35m-rated midfielder.
Newcastle United are close to banking £58m from the sale of the France international plus Georginio Wijnaldum, who is set for a medical at Liverpool after a fee rising to £25m was accepted for the Holland midfielder.
St James’ Park officials want £35m for Sissoko but that has not deterred Juventus, who are prepared to pay the asking price for the 26-year-old. Manchester United are trying to sign Pogba for what would be a club record fee.
Sissoko enjoyed an impressive European Championship with France and is keen to move following Newcastle’s relegation to the Championship. Although Juventus have Champions League football on offer, they face rival interest from Everton for the powerful midfielder.
Farhad Moshiri, Everton’s billionaire major shareholder, is also willing to meet Newcastle’s valuation of Sissoko. Goodison Park officials are meeting on Thursday to discuss significant moves in the transfer market, with the new manager, Ronald Koeman, yet to sign an outfield player for the first team since replacing Roberto Martínez.
Moshiri has shown his ambition to overhaul Everton in terms of management structure, with compensation agreed with Leicester City for their highly prized chief scout Steve Walsh, and will back Koeman with substantial transfer funds. Whether that can persuade Sissoko to resist Juventus’s advances, however, remains to be seen. Arsenal have also been linked with Sissoko but have not returned to Newcastle with an offer in the £35m region.