Newcastle Transfer News: Mathieu Debuchy Move Certain After £6 Million Bid
Newcastle United have made an improved £6 million offer for Lille right-back Mathieu Debuchy and the French international now looks certain to join his close friend Yohan Cabaye at St. James' Park.
The Daily Mirror reports on the improved offer that just falls short of Lille's £7.5 million valuation (Newcastle previously had a £4 million offer rejected out right) and the French club's head coach Rudi Garcia said on Thursday that the player is determined to leave this summer. Garcia said;
Mathieu wants to leave. But we had no plans for him to leave. He will only leave when I have found someone equally as good to replace him. And that will cost a lot of money. Mathieu is one of my key players. He sets an example, a young man who has been brought up well and gives his all for the cause. My role is not to put the team in jeopardy. If we find a replacement for him of the same stature, and the right club comes in for Mathieu, then he can leave.The whole situation is now looking very similar to the series of events that saw Cabaye quit Lille for Newcastle United last summer with the player announcing he wanted to leave France to come to St. James' Park. Debuchy turns 27-years-old next month and the inflated offer, unusually high for the thrifty Magpies, shows the North East club's determination to land the player whose impressive performances at Euro 2012 caught the eye of a number of Premier League clubs. But it is Newcastle's determination to sign him, their growing reputation for the fantastic European qualifying campaign last season and the current French connection at the club (his best mate Cabaye, international colleague Ben Arfa and the likes of Sylvain Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan, Mehdi Abeid and the French born Demba Ba) has convinced Debucy that he wants to wear black and white next season.