An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Nantes winger Moses Simon...

What's the talk?

According to OwnGoalNigeria, via Sport Witness, the Magpies are battling with Leeds United to land the £20m forward in the summer.

The report claims that the Ligue 1 outfit were unwilling to part ways with him in January and are now open to cashing in on him at the end of the campaign, with the Toon now preparing to offer a £100k-per-week deal to the attacker.

Far better than Fraser

Newcastle must ensure that they are able to get this deal over the line, as Simon is far better than their current right winger Ryan Fraser.

The Nigerian has produced two goals and six assists in 18 Ligue 1 starts this season whilst averaging a whopping 2.3 key passes per game, after managing six goals and five assists in the division last term. This shows that he is a creative threat at the top level and that he is also capable of finding the back of the net, which could make him an exciting player for Eddie Howe to have.

Meanwhile, Fraser has just one goal and one assist in 17 Premier League matches for Newcastle in the current campaign, averaging 0.6 key passes per game. This comes after he provided zero goals and two assists in 18 games last season for the Magpies under Steve Bruce, with these statistics suggesting that Simon would be a major upgrade on the former Bournemouth man.

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr previously lauded the Ligue 1 gem's quality and versatility, saying: “I really like this player, he has a foolproof mind. He is small (1m68) but he has a big heart. He is very talented technically, physically with his speed, despite his size.

“With me he can play right back, and he does! He has a lot of strings to his bow."

Former Nigeria captain Austin Okocha also dubbed him a "menace" with his ability to take players on with the ball and cause problems for the opposition defence. These comments suggest that Howe could love to work with the 26-year-old, who has the tactical flexibility to be used in a variety of ways and the skills in possession to make things happen in the final third.

Hopefully PIF will be able to tempt him into making the move to St James' Park in the summer and he can bring his creative magic to the Premier League.

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