Newcastle Lead Liverpool in Race for £60M Lille Forward
Newcastle United have taken the lead over Liverpool in negotiations to secure the signature of LOSC Lille attacker Matías Fernández-Pardo ahead of the summer transfer deadline. The 21-year-old Belgian international has emerged as one of the final major targets of the transfer window, with French media confirming that Newcastle executives stepped up discussions over the weekend to finalize a deal.
According to a report published by GiveMeSport, Lille have maintained an asking price near £60 million (€75 million) for the versatile forward, who has reportedly expressed his desire to join the Premier League side.
Liverpool entered the race late after making initial inquiries with the Ligue 1 club to reinforce their attacking options before the window closes. Despite Liverpool’s interest, Newcastle have made the most decisive push under head coach Matthias Jaissle, aiming to finalize the transfer following a strong start to their domestic campaign.
Fernández-Pardo was omitted from Lille’s recent matchday squad and has been training away from the first team while club directors resolve his future, signaling an impending departure from the French outfit.
The 6-foot-2 forward provides significant physical presence and positional flexibility across the frontline, capable of operating as a winger, second striker, or central focal point. During the previous season with Lille, Fernández-Pardo posted 13 direct goal contributions in Ligue 1 play, tallying eight goals and five assists across 29 appearances.
As final deadline negotiations intensify, Newcastle remain in advanced talks to wrap up the agreement and add the highly-rated prospect to their squad.
