NEWCASTLE UNITED are still confident of pulling off a deal for Swansea City full-back Neil Taylor.
Taylor’s £1m move to St James’ Park has stalled over Swansea’s insistence that they do not have to sell him, according to a report yesterday.
Neither club were available to comment last night over the claims the left-back is taking legal advice about whether to sue the Premier League newcomers over breach of contract.
Taylor has been poised to join the Magpies, who are looking to activate the £1m clause in his contract that allows him to speak with other clubs.
But, in a situation bearing similarities to the way Phil Jones’ transfer from Blackburn to Manchester United developed, Swansea insist the clause does not mean they have to sell.
Swansea are keen to keep hold of the player and are thought to have quoted Newcastle substantially more than the £1m, with one Sunday newspaper suggesting the asking price is £10m.
Swans’ chairman Huw Jenkins, still reeling over Ipswich’s decision to report them to the Premier League for allegedly not paying all of the loan fee for Hungarian striker Tamas Priskin in March, is back to work today and expected to deal with the matter.
Swansea are aware that both Newcastle and Everton are keen on signing Taylor, who Alan Pardew has been expecting to have in his squad for the last ten days.
In the Jones case, Rovers eventually caved in after being told they were powerless to prevent United from signing the player after a £16.5m get-out clause was triggered.
Pardew is still looking to add to his squad and, as well as being linked with a move for Sunderland target Darron Gibson, Toulouse’s Moussa Sissoko has emerged as another potential signing.
Sissoko has been linked with a host of clubs in recent weeks, including Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea.
But the £13m-rated 21-year-old’s agent, Bacary Sanogo, said: “The link with Lyon is serious, but it is not the only one.
“There are also negotiations with Liverpool, Newcastle and Inter. Things should seriously move next week.”
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