Newcastle ‘prepare offer’ for Arsenal-linked Bundesliga star; Real Madrid reject €30m Magpies bid | OneFootball

Jesper Lindstrom could be leaving the Bundesliga this summer.

Premier League side Newcastle United are reportedly preparing to submit an offer for Eintracht Frankfurt winger Jesper Lindstrom.

The Magpies are on the verge of completing the £52m signing of Sandro Tonali as they look to get their summer recruitment drive underway.

Tonali could be the first of a few marquee signings this summer as Eddie Howe looks for quality over quantity with Newcastle qualifying for the Champions League.

And Frankfurt winger Lindstrom has reportedly risen to their top of their list with German newspaper Bild claiming that the Geordies have ‘expressed a concrete interest’ in the Denmark international.

Bild did claim back in May that Arsenal were also interested in a ‘surprise move’ for Lindstrom as a potential back-up option for Bukayo Saka.

However, the Gunners have not made their move yet and it’s AC Milan who the outlet are crediting with other interest in the 23-year-old.

Bild insist that ‘it can be assumed’ that Newcastle and Milan are ‘preparing’ offers for Lindstrom with Frankfurt ‘demanding’ €30-40m after recently turning down a bid of €25m from Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig.

Lindstrom recently made no secret of the fact he wants to play in the Champions League as soon as possible, he said: “I said that I want to play where it’s fun and I think it’s fun to play in the Champions League and the big tournaments.”

Another player who has reportedly caught the eye of the Magpies’ recruitment team is Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy, with Spanish publication Nacional insisting that the La Liga club’s president Florentino Perez has rejected a €30m offer from Newcastle.

Carlo Ancelotti is understood to be happy to sell Mendy and has encouraged Perez to ‘study the offers they receive to get rid of him’ this summer.

Perez ‘warned’ Newcastle that he sees their €30m offer as ‘very low’ and that ‘the minimum that Madrid will accept’ is €40m and the Geordies could now ‘forget about this option and think about alternatives’.

Newcastle will be hoping the prospect of Champions League football next season can help them attract players to the club and former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor thinks they can be successful in the competition.

Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT: “I think a lot of teams are going to find it difficult at St James’ Park. Even European teams will. I think they’ve made that place a fortress.

“Imagine European nights on a Tuesday and Wednesday at St James’ Park – that fanbase, the atmosphere they generate there. I think all teams will find it very difficult there. I fancy them to get out the Group Stage. I never had one good game there, hard place to play.”