St Etienne have won the race for Yann Karamoh.
According to a report on TalkSPORT the Caen teenager has opted to stay in France rather than move to Newcastle or Southampton.
Karamoh broke into the Caen side last season and made a big impression with five goals for the club that finished fourth bottom averaging less than a goal per game.
That form brought him to the attention of Newcastle who were keen to bring the striker into their Premier League plans.
St Etienne had similar thoughts and have managed to convince Karamoh that his development was best served by staying in the French League.
Caen have accepted an initial fee of £5.3m with a number of bonuses built in to the deal.
Rafa Benitez has still to bring in a striker since securing promotion with Tammy Abraham opting to go on loan to Swansea rather than switch to St James’ Park.
