Newcastle United, Leeds United and Aston Villa weigh up £7m forward move amid £34m exodus

Newcastle United are one of three Premier League clubs looking to take advantage of Bordeaux’s financial troubles by launching a bid for teenage star Sekou Mara.

The 19-year-old broke into the Ligue 1 side’s senior setup last season and scored one goal in eight appearances, with his solo strike coming with the only goal in home win against Rennes in the last month of the campaign.

Mara endured something of an inconsistent start to last season but rapidly improved towards the end of the campaign with an impressive run of five goals in his last seven games.

A regular in France youth sides, Mara earned the first of two Under-21 caps when he appeared alongside the likes of Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga and Arsenal’s William Saliba in a 3-0 home win against Macedonia last February.

French outlet Foot Mercato have reported Newcastle, Aston Villa and Leeds United are all ready to make a move for the youngster as uncertainty over Bordeaux’s future continues.

Les Girondins were relegated to France’s third tier last month due to their financial issues and new owner Gerard Lopez has been working hard to secure financial support from investors to push the club forwards.

The club’s directors described the decision as ‘brutal’ and confirmed they would launch an appeal - but that was dismissed by the French Football Federation earlier this month.

That has left Bordeaux to face up to the prospect of life in the third tier and they are vulnerable to losing their top players over the coming weeks.

A recent report suggested the club are hoping to recoup around £34million from the sales of Hwang Ui-jo, Alberth Elis and Mara, with the latter rated at around £7million.

Mara is not the first French-based forward to be linked with a move to Newcastle, with the Magpies also said to be keen on Paris Saint Germain prospect Arnaud Kalimuendo and Sochaux youngster Alan Virginius.