Burnley star Maxwel Cornet was offered to Newcastle United earlier in the transfer window but the Magpies felt his £17.5m release clause was too steep at that point, according to a Twitter update from reporter Ben Jacobs.

The 25-year-old has been the subject of interest from several Premier League sides this summer following the Clarets' relegation to the Championship, with Cornet standing out as one of their top performers during the 2021/22 campaign.

Recording nine goals in 26 league appearances, he adapted well to the English top tier following his £12.9m move from Lyon last summer and gave his current side real hope of remaining at the top level.

 

 

It wasn't meant to be though and the Ivorian looks likely to be moving on between now and the end of the summer amid intense interest from the likes of Everton, Nottingham Forest and now Newcastle.

Vincent Kompany's side haven't stood in the way of those that have wanted to move on from Turf Moor, with previous crucial assets in Nick Pope, Nathan Collins and Dwight McNeil sealing moves back to the top tier.

Cornet could soon follow and according to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are now willing to fork out more than £17.5m, on the condition they can pay in instalments.

The Clarets have valued one of their most valuable assets at £25m, with Eddie Howe's side potentially willing to pay that much to lure him to St James' Park.

The Verdict:

Considering the need to abide by financial fair play rules, you can understand why the Magpies felt that was quite a steep fee to pay up front - but he would be an excellent signing for most top-tier sides.

His versatility makes him worth £17.5m alone - and with Howe's side in need of another forward or two - he could be a goalscoring asset to help take the pressure off the likes of Callum Wilson and Chris Wood to score the bulk of their goals.

Able to play in multiple systems too, the Ivorian is certainly worth having in the dressing room and you would back him to either replicate or improve his record from last season if he was to make the move to Tyneside and was given a similar opportunity to impress.

He would be an almost guaranteed starter if he was to remain at Turf Moor beyond the summer - but he would ideally want to remain at the highest level to give himself the chance to improve further.

And it does look as though he will seal a move away in the next month, so he needs to focus on remaining sharp and that will give him the best chance of hitting the ground running at his new club.