Newcastle appear to have missed their chance to sign Nice forward Alassane Plea as Tottenham have now entered the race for his signature, claims The Daily Telegraph.
Rafa Benitez’s side were hopeful of swooping in and completing a deal for Plea under the radar but appear to have wasted too much time trying to negotiate a lower price.
Nice have slapped a £27m price tag on Plea’s head but Newcastle’s current offer is only £20m, which has allowed Tottenham to steal a march in the race for the forward.
Reports in Germany claim Gladbach have already agreed personal terms with the 25-year-old, but it remains to be seen whether the Bundesliga side are prepared to pay anywhere near Nice’s valuation.
Gladbach’s current club-record signing stands at around £15m and they would almost have to double that sum in order to land Plea, which makes Tottenham favourites for his signature.
West Ham are also interested in the Nice striker but the allure of Champions League football at Tottenham should mean there is only one winner in negotiations.
Only Florian Thauvin (131) attempted more shots than Plea (108) in Ligue 1 last season and the Nice forward scored 16 goals in 35 league appearances.
