Newcastle to battle Brighton for ₦6.5 billion Super Eagles star

Premier League sides Newcastle and Brighton are set to go head-to-head for one of Nigeria's attacking players. The two teams have been linked with a move for Nantes winger Moses Simon. 

According to Butfuootballclub, Brighton and Newcastle will battle it out for the Super Eagles winger and are ready to pay the €15m price tag Nantes placed on him.

The Seagulls' interest in Simon is well-known as they look to build on a squad that can maintain their stay in the Premier League. 

However, they now face competition from Newcastle, who are heavily backed by the financial power of Saudi Arabia.

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The Magpies were bought by the Saudi-backed Public Investment Fund (PIF) and already showed their spending power in January.

They are set to continue their spending spree this summer and have identified Simon as a potential transfer target. The Premier League side consider the 26-year-old as an alternative to Moussa Diaby, who is also a target. 

However, they will also have to pay a fee in the region of €15m-20m to sign him as Nantes hold Simon in high regard. 

The Super Eagles star has been one of Nantes' best players in the last two seasons. He joined the club permanently in 2020 after initially spending the 2019/2020 season on loan from Levante. 

Simon scored six goals and provided eight assists in 30 Ligue 1 matches for The Canaries last season. The Super Eagles star still has two years left on his contract.