Moussa Sissoko's sterling display at the European Championships earned him a number of suitors in world football, including Spanish giants, Real Madrid.
The Frenchman looked at played transformed for Didier Deschamps team, prompting many to wonder: "Surely that couldn't be the same Moussa Sissoko who has featured for Newcastle all season? Relegated Newcastle. Championship Newcastle."
Well, it is. And now Madrid want to snap the player up by offering Champions League football and the chance to play in an El Clasico, rather than midweek matches at Bristol, Barnsley and Brentford.
The Guardian report that in return, Zinedine Zidane will offer the club two youngsters - Mariano Diaz and Marcos Llorente - to spend the season on loan ath St James's. And while money is expected to be no problem for the 11-time Champions League winners, a £35m price tag may slow negotiations.
And Real Madrid aren't the only team anxious to bolster their attacking options. In this morning's Daily Mail, it appears that Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku is preparing to make a return to his old club Chelsea.
With Diego Costa's future at the club uncertain under new manager Antonio Conte, the club are reported to be lining up a player plus cash deal for the powerful forward.
Lukaku, who scored 18 goals in the league last term, would cost the London club £65m plus forgotten striker who last featured for Chelsea in a routine 4-0 win over Aston Villa in April.
Finally this morning, the phrase "Can he do it on a rainy Tuesday night in Stoke?" is thrown around in an attempt to cut any player of discernible quality down to size. In other words, a player can not be considered one of the world's finest if he can't test his mettle at the Britannia Stadium under a deluge.
It appears to be based on this criteria that Mark Hughes believes that Robin van Persie would be a fine addition to his Stoke team.
The Daily Mirror suggest that the former Manchester United striker may be offered a way out of Fenerbache this summer and return to feature for a Premier League club for the third time in his career.
Van Persie scored 22 goals in all competitions last season to help Fenerbahce into the Champions League qualifiers.
The Dutchman may be partnered up front with Saido Berahino who remains on Stoke's radar. Van Persie left Manchester United last season for less than £5m, so it remains unclear how much it would take to prise him from the Turkish side.
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