Newcastle set mammoth £20million valuation on goal-shy attacker as he prepares to exit club - report

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Published on:

21 May 2016, 9:49 am

By North-east correspondent Harry Sykes

Newcastle have placed a £20million price tag on Moussa Sissoko as he prepares to quit the club following relegation, according to a report.

The France international has been a mainstay of the team since arriving at St James' Park from Toulouse in January 2013.

But French reports have claimed this week Sissoko has no intention of staying at Newcastle following their relegation to the Championship.

The Telegraph claim Sissoko is set to be one of the first players to leave the club this summer as he does not want to play in the second tier next season.

It is said West Ham want £20million for the Frenchman, who is contracted to the club until 2019.

Sissoko has refused to publicly commit to Newcastle following their relegation and Premier League interest in the powerhouse midfielder is apparently growing.

It is claimed that West Ham are showing interest in Sissoko as they look to potentially take advantage of the Magpies' relegation.

The attacking midfielder was a mainstay of the team this season and was named captain by Rafael Benitez for the final matches of the campaign.

However, he scored just one goal from 39 appearances and 3,402 minutes of action, a poor return for a player with 35 caps for France and one who plays so high up the pitch.

Newcastle are ready to listen to offers for the £55,000-a-week international, who has three years remaining on his contract and will be regarded as one of the club's major assets in the transfer market.

The futures of a considerable number of players in Rafael Benitez's team are under threat, with a major turnover of personnel expected this summer.

In other Newcastle news, the club have lost patience with a 30-year-old defender and will also look to offload him.

Newcastle United

Moussa Sissoko

Newcastle