Wednesday, 12th June, 2013
Monaco are readying themselves for yet another double swoop, this time from two different clubs, with their sights set on Newcastle United’s Yohan Cabaye and Marseille’s Nicolas N’Koulou.
The big-spending Ligue 1 newcomers have been linked with a whole host of high-profile players in Europe, and sent shockwaves with their capture of Radamel Falcao from Atletico Madrid.
FC Porto saw the duo of Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez make the move to Monaco, and now it appears Newcastle United could be set for a battle to hold on to Cabaye, who joined the Magpies in 2011 from Lille.
Cabaye has impressed enough during his two seasons on Tyneside, thanks to his 73 games and 11 goals, with interest from Paris Saint-Germain as recently as April.
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And the 27-year-old has caught the eye once again, with Monaco sporting director Vadim Vasilyev telling L’Equipe: "Cabaye? He is a very interesting player."
Monaco’s spending spree could take a significant hit after 20th June, though, with a French Council of State ruling scheduled over a proposed shifting of their headquarters back to the tax-incurring part of France.
Their tax-free status so far has caused the ire of rival Ligue 1 clubs, but the shift back to France was halted, temporarily, by the French Football Federation, who instead asked for a €200m payment.
With both suggestions refused, the matter lies with the council for now, and the impasse is forcing the club to hang fire on their purchases from within the country – especially with regards to their former player N’Koulou.
The Cameroon international, who made 87 appearances for Monaco between 2008 and 2011, is currently enjoying a fruitful spell at Marseille.
Vasilyev maintains the club will "seek an appointment with Marseille", but with regards to French players from Ligue 1, "we cannot move forward until there is uncertainty over the decision of the league."
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