Toon target holds his club so Dia
BOULAYE Dia insists he feels “good in Reims” despite transfer interest from Newcastle United.
As previously reported by The Chronicle, the Magpies are believed to have scouted the Ligue 1 star who sits level with Paris St Germain’s Kylian Mbappe in the scoring charts.
The Senegalese international is understood to be on a long list of targets - but an electric start to the season which has seen the striker net once every 114 minutes has unsurprisingly caught the eye.
However, the Magpies are not the only Premier League club considering a move for the 24-year-old, Arsenal and West Ham also credited with an interest.
Dia scored twice in Reims’ 3-1 victory over AS Saint-Etienne 3-1 on Saturday to take his tally to 12 for the season and confirmed he had a release clause when asked about his future.
However, the in-form forward insisted he is happy with life at Stade Auguste-Delaune.
He said: “This is just the beginning of the transfer window – the month is very long. I don’t think about that.
“I am focused on the results of the team, on myself, to continue to perform well and to score goals.
“I feel good in Reims, there is a good family atmosphere here.
“Otherwise, we know my situation. I have a release clause, that is what I can tell you.”
Reims’ victory over AS SaintEtienne pushed their unbeaten run to five matches and the relegation contenders are now targeting a mid-table finish.
Dia added: “The goal is simply survival.
“The president made a speech to say we had the objective of finishing between eighth and 14th in the table
“Considering our start to the season we could not hope for better.”