Man City could block Newcastle signing Fernandez-Pardo after ‘big-money’ deal agreed
Man City's £86million move for Lille star Ayyoub Bouaddi means that Newcastle look set to miss out on signing former teammate Matias Fernandez-Pardo, sources have told Football Insider.
Newcastle are in the market for a new attacking midfielder in the latter stages of the window as they eye several potential signings.
Versatile Lille playmaker Fernandez-Pardo has emerged as a top target over the last week after an impressive last 12 months for club and country.
Lille have already sold one key star to a Premier League club this summer after Bouaddi joined Man City for a hefty fee on Wednesday.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, that transfer means that Newcastle will find it tough to land Fernandez-Pardo because of Lille's comfortable current financial position.
The Belgian starlet remains a huge part of their plans and so Newcastle could well be forced to pursue alternative targets before next Tuesday's deadline.
Lille can price Newcastle out of Matias Fernandez-Pardo approach
Fernandez-Pardo registered eight goals and six assists in 41 games for Lille last term, and featured three times for Belgium at the World Cup.
The 21-year-old is currently under contract until 2029 and widespread reports have claimed that Lille want at least £60m to part ways with his services, which could prove too expensive for Newcastle.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "Newcastle are interested in Fernandez-Pardo, but it’s a real difficult deal to do right now because Lille are quite flush with money from that big sale of Ayyoub Bouaddi to Manchester City for £86million.
"They’re in no rush to sell Fernandez-Pardo because the bank balance is looking pretty good right now, so I think they would be looking at another huge fee to even consider letting the Belgian international leave so late in the window."
Newcastle ready to let Joe Willock leave as they search for new playmaker
Willock has been featuring as a number 10 under Matthias Jaissle in recent weeks, scoring as he came on against Liverpool in their first league game of the campaign.
He remains on the periphery of the German manager's plans, however, having attracted close attention from Besiktas in recent weeks.
Sources have exclusively revealed to Football Insider that Newcastle will let Willock leave if they sign a new attacking midfielder before Tuesday's deadline.