Newcastle United face a stiff battle to land Saint-Etienne centre back Yohan Benalouane.
The 23-year-old has also been tracked West Ham, Rangers and Sevilla, but Newcastle seem most determined to land him, according to L'Equipe.
Saint-Etienne hope Benalouane will sign a contract extension, but may be tempted to cash in as the 6ft 1in defender has just 12 months left on his current deal.
The France Under 21 international, who has been a regular for the Ligue 1 club for the past two seasons, has a Tunisian father but has so far resisted calls to play for the African side amid hopes he can make the grade for Les Bleus.
