Newcastle closing in on Gomis

Newcastle United are finally on the verge of making their first signing of the summer, after they had a bid for striker Bafetimbi Gomis accepted by Lyon, the Metro understands.

The 27 year old is set to become the first new arrival since Joe Kinnear controversially became the clubs director of football, with Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas confirming the deal is near.

The Magpies are set to pay £8.7m for the forward, who scored sixteen goals in Ligue 1 last season.

He has won twelve caps for France, and is set to become the eleventh player from across the channel to join Alan Pardew’s squad.

Meanwhile, the club have been told that they will have to pay £2m if they want to take fellow French international striker Loic Remy to St James’ Park on a temporary basis.

Hoops manager Harry Redknapp believes that the 26 year old, who only moved to Loftus Road in January, ‘could play for anyone in the Premier League’.

‘He’s a player who’s going on loan,’ said Redknapp.

‘If you were buying Loic Remy for £8million, which there were clubs to buy him for, if you gave him a four-year contract and he ran that down and was a free agent, he’d cost you £2million a year.

‘If somebody wants to loan him they’d be entitled to pay £2million for him.’