LUCAS BID A LONG SHOT FOR TOON

WILSON WARNING TO MAGPIES TARGETS

LUCAS DIGNE wants a move to a club offering Champions League football.

And that could scupper his current boss Rafa Benitez’s plan to bring his former player Sean Longstaff to Everton.

Newcastle are among several Premier League clubs to have expressed interest in left-back Digne, 28.

And Benitez, who worked with midfielder Longstaff when he was Toon chief, was keen to use the France defender (right) in a swap deal.

Everton have made an official approach for Longstaff, 24, and hoped the Geordies would offer cash plus the player for Digne.

But Digne does not want to join the Magpies and is being tracked by Chelsea, plus Leicester, West Ham and Aston Villa.

Inter Milan have also been linked with the full-back along with Paris Saint-Germain, but both are thought to be keen on a loan deal only.

WATFORD have signed Brazilian centre-back Samir from Serie A side Udinese on a deal until June 2025.

Samir, 27, made more than 100 appearances for Udinese in all competitions in his three-year spell.

He is Watford’s second signing of the January transfer window after Ivory Coast midfielder Hassane Kamara joined the Hornets from Ligue 1 Nice on Tuesday.

Claudio Ranieri’s team are 17th in the table, two points above the relegation zone. Rapha’s talks to kill off stalkers

LEEDS have ruled out selling Raphinha now and plan to hold a second round of contract talks with the winger.

Elland Road director of football Victor Orta held two meetings with Raphinha’s agent Deco before Christmas and wants to pick up on those positive discussions.

Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Manchester City are stalking the Brazilian (above) who is under contract until 2025 but Leeds say they have not received any direct approaches for him.

Raphinha, 25, is Leeds’ top scorer with eight goals and has been their standout performer during a difficult campaign.

He is settled under boss Marcelo Bielsa and is getting married soon.

Leeds also plan to open contract talks with Adam Forshaw, 30. The midfielder’s current agreement ends in June.

CALLUM WILSON has issued a tough warning to mercenary star name players on Newcastle’s January wanted list.

The Toon striker says the galaxy of new faces being chased by the Saudifunded new owners should forget it if they are only coming for a

“quick payday.”

Wilson, out for weeks with a calf muscle tear, says only players who want to commit to

“the badge” and are serious about helping rebuild the club should consider a switch to St

James’ Park.

The Geordies were last night completing the paperwork on Kieran Trippier’s £12.5million switch from Atletico Madrid.

But club officials were already hunting down the next new signing.

Sevilla’s Brazilian defender Diego Carlos (circle, top) has been the subject of a £25m enquiry, but could cost £40m.

Talks have been held with Fiorentina over Serb striker Dusan Vlahovic (circle, bottom) rated at £55m and scorer of 18 goals in 22 games in Serie A this season. Newcastle also have a watching brief on the situation of France forward Anthony Martial (below, right) at Manchester United, with a loan move eyed.

But, as with several potential recruits, the Geordies’ league plight is a drawback and he believes there will be better options before the end of the month. Newcastle need a new striker in before they play Watford a week on Saturday, and will get an accurate timescale, expected to be months, on Wilson’s calf injury today.

Allan SaintMaximin has also been recovering from injury and they have contributed 10 of Newcastle’s 19 league goals this season. Wilson said: “You want players that are up to the challenge, that are not just coming for a quick payday. “You have to get players in the door that are going to play for the badge first and foremost and, then beyond that, we want to add quality. We don’t just want to add numbers.

“We don’t need quantity; we need quality. You’re also going to need someone to replace me in the shortterm. I’m not going to say long-term because you’ve got to back yourself !”

On his injury, Wilson said: “It’s a strange one, I managed to push off in the wrong position or direction and got a tear in it and it gave way.

“It’s frustrating.

You have an inkling whether it is a bad one or just a little niggle – this is probably middle of the road.”