Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez could be tempted to keep French winger Florian Thauvin, according to the Evening Chronicle. The Magpies have set a £12.5million asking price for the 23 year old but there are no clubs who are willing to meet their demands.
Marseille are keen on another loan deal for the Frenchman but Newcastle are unwilling to allow the player to leave for France on a temporary deal once again, unless there is a clause that makes the move permanent at the end of the loan. The Ligue One side however don’t have the money for a permanent deal leaving Thauvin’s future far from certain.
Lazio were said to be interested earlier in the summer but the departure of Thauvin’s former manager Marcelo Bielsa from the Serie A side (after just two days following a dispute with club’s owners), means that option is now seemingly dead in the water.
In the event that no clubs come in for Thauvin, Magpies boss Benitez is keen to make the most of the situation and give the Frenchman a second chance in the first team. He is said to have impressed the coaches in preseason and that improvement has been noticeable since he has returned from his loan spell with Marseille.
