Newcastle United and AC Milan ready for another transfer battle over Ligue 1 free agent

Newcastle United and Serie A giants AC Milan have become accustomed to each other in the transfer market over the last 12 months.

Both clubs have shown an interest in the same players during the last two transfer windows, with the most prominent being a battle to sign Lille centre-back Sven Botman. The Dutch defender was reportedly the subject of bids from the Magpies and the Rossoneri during the January transfer window before their battle was resumed over the summer.

There was speculation Botman was edging towards a move to Italy but Newcastle would be his eventual destination after their persistence paid off when the former Ajax defender completed a £32m move to Tyneside.

Reports in France have now suggested Newcastle and Milan are ready to battle once again as they consider a move for Lyon star Houssem Aouar. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder will head into the final six months of his current deal with the Ligue 1 club when the January transfer window opens and could be allowed to depart on a cut-price deal.

However, Italian outlet La Repubblica have now reported both clubs are looking to make a move for the once-capped French international on a free transfer at the end of the season. The report has stated the former team-mate of Magpies midfielder Bruno Guimaraes has ‘no shortage of offers from the Premier League’ before name-checking Newcastle are one of the interested parties.

But they also reveal Milan ‘really like’ the midfielder and state ‘first contacts with Aouar’s entourage have already taken place and will soon be deepened’. Arsenal and Nottingham Forest have also been linked with a move for Aouar in recent months, with the latter said to have agreed a £13m move during the summer before opting against completing the deal.