MAGS EYE SECOND BID
NEWCASTLE PONDER IMPROVED OFFER FOR FEYENOORD AND DENMARK STRIKER JORGENSEN
Newcastle United are considering making an improved offer for Nicolai Jorgensen.
The Magpies have had a £12million bid for the Feyenoord striker turned down, with the Dutch club rating him in the £20million bracket.
The Eredivisie champions, however, could still accept a lower offer for the 27-year-old, who was signed from FC Copenhagen 18 months ago.
Feyenoord this week resigned former Arsenal and Holland striker Robin van Persie on an 18-month deal.
Denmark international Jorgensen – who scored 21 goals last season – emerged as Newcastle’s preferred target on Tuesday after winger Kenedy completed his loan move from Chelsea.
Newcastle also have an interest in Liverpool’s Danny Ings and Leicester City’s Islam Slimani.
Ings is reluctant to leave Anfield on loan, though, while Slimani, who also has a price tag of around £20million, could be farmed out by the Foxes for the rest of the season.
Brighton, meanwhile, have had a bid for Aleksandar Mitrovic turned down by Newcastle, who rate the Serbian at £15m.
Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez is reluctant to do business with a Premier League rival, though the Tynesiders could yet be persuaded to part with the ex-Anderlecht man who wants regular football ahead of this summer’s World Cup finals.
Brighton, level on points with 15th-placed Newcastle, reportedly offered just £8million for Mitrovic, who hasn’t played for the Magpies for more than a month.
The 23-year-old has recovered from the back problem which saw him sidelined over the festive period, and he could be included in Benitez’s squad for Sunday’s FA Cup fourth round tie at Chelsea. Brighton have been rocked by the news that striker Glenn Murray and his wife, Stacey, have been arrested on suspicion of tax fraud totalling £1.1million. Computers, business and personal records were seized during a search of the couple’s home by officers from HM Revenue and Customs. “A husband and wife have been arrested as part of an investigation into a suspected £1.1 million tax fraud,” said an HMRC spokesperson.