Newcastle Transfer News: Bafetimbi Gomis Signing Imminent - Deal Agreed

MailOnline are reporting that Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has confirmed the club has agreed a fee with Newcastle for Bafetimbi Gomis. And according to the Frenchman, the deal, which is worth up to £8.7million, could be finalised in as little as a day. The club president spoke to French website Journal du Dimanche to confirm that the move, which had been thought to have stalled over Newcastle's failure to meet Lyon's valuation (according to the Guardian), is back on:

"We agreed on Newcastle's offer. The club (Newcastle) has come to accept the player's salary claims," Aulas was quoted as saying. "The deal is now subject to an agreement over the agents fees," he added. "I understand there's a problem over the amount and the payment of the fees ... Hopefully, it would be settled within the next 24 or 48 hours."

Gomis has played 12 times for France, and scored 16 goals in the French top flight last season. He has been a consistent presence for Lyon recently, scoring at least 10 goals in each of the last seven seasons, and his goals will be welcomed by Newcastle fans who watched their team stutter through last season's campaign, and ultimately only save themselves from relegation uncomfortably late in the year. Newcastle fans will also no doubt be keen to see whether the tall striker can live up to his "Baby Drogba" nickname, and terrorise Premier league defences, especially after a season of perceived frustration that has seen Newcastle's now infamously rigid transfer policy push some fans' groups into action. Whether this first potential signing will be enough to silence those Geordie voices of discontent remains to be seen, but if Gomis can link up well with Papiss Cisse - provided he remains at the club - that will go some way to quieting any complaints about another slow summer.