Thursday, 10th March, 2011
Newcastle United have joined Arsenal in tracking Saint-Etienne midfielder Blaise Matuidi, who is expected to exit the Ligue 1 club this summer.
Under contract with the Greens until 2013, Matuidi is reported by RMC to have an exit clause in his contract, allowing him to leave as soon as the magical figure is met. And while the exact amount needed to trigger the clause is not yet known, the figure is unlikely to be too rich for either Newcastle or Arsenal to stomach.
The 23-year-old has impressed watching scouts with his powerful displays in the centre of Saint-Etienne’s midfield and made the breakthrough to the senior France side last year, being selected by Laurent Blanc in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Bosnia.
A tough-tackling midfielder who can also pick a pass, Matuidi has been an ever-present since moving to the Greens from Troyes in 2007. Ready to take the next step in his career, a move to England would surely appeal.
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