- Newcastle United have suffered a setback after Pierre-Emile Højbjerg rejected a move from Marseille despite earlier progress in talks.
Højbjerg turns down Newcastle move
Newcastle United have suffered a setback in their pursuit of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg after the Marseille midfielder rejected a move to Tyneside, according to TEAMtalk. Newcastle had been progressing negotiations with Marseille after the 31-year-old initially gave the green light to the move, but his decision has now brought the proposed transfer to a halt.
Hojberg was the priority target of Mathias Jaissle to reform the midfield following the departure of Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães; Portuguese international João Palhinha is also on the list of Newcastle, but the player is keen on a move to Aston Villa.
Marseille remains open to offers
Marseille are still willing to talk regarding the offers, as they want to offload the player. Even though a move to the Magpies is considered off, they are still looking to find a solution.
Now Newcastle are forced to reassess their transfer plans to find another experienced midfielder to play along with their new youngsters Aladji Bamba and Steam Stuer.
Newcastle forced back into the transfer market
Højbjerg's decision represents another setback for the Magpies in a transfer window that has already seen the club miss out on several of their preferred targets, including Victor Muñoz to Liverpool and Johan Manzambi to Villa.
The English club must now identify another experienced midfielder to complement their younger additions as Mathias Jaissle continues to reshape the squad.