Newcastle have been dealt another transfer setback after midfield target Seko Fofana reiterated his desire to remain with RC Lens this month.
The Magpies' find themselves perilously positioned in the Premier League 's relegation zone and a 1-1 draw with Watford on Saturday has left them languishing in 19th place.
Both manager Eddie Howe and the club's Saudi-backed owners have been keen to add January reinforcements but have seen moves for a number of targets hit snags as the club's lowly league placement appears to have deterred prospective signings.
The arrival of Kieran Trippier at St. James' Park from Atletico Madrid in a £12m deal was followed by the signing of Burnley's Chris Wood for a whopping £25m, but one player who doesn't look to be joining this month is Fofana.
The Ivorian midfielder has been the subject of recent Newcastle interest and his club side Lens also turned down a reported bid from the Magpies' relegation rivals Burnley.
Fofana, who netted a last-minute winner in the Ligue 1 side's 2-1 weekend triumph over St Etienne, has now spoken out on speculation surrounding his future, and it's not good news for Newcastle and Howe.
“My wish is to continue the adventure and to go as far as possible," the 26-year-old told Eurosport France, via Inside Futbol. “I always said that I feel good here."
It remains to be seen whether an improved Burnley offer or the financial pulling power of Newcastle's mega-money new owners will test Lens' resolve, but Fofana himself certainly seems intent on staying at the French club.
The player has shone in Ligue 1 since making the move from Serie A side Udinese on a four-year deal back in the summer of 2020 and has notched an impressive eight strikes across 23 appearances so far this term, helping Lens to sixth in the league standings.
Fofana is no stranger to England having spent some of his youth career with Manchester City before heading out on loan to Championship side Fulham for the 2014-15 season.
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The French-born midfielder scored once in 25 outings for the Cottagers before a second loan spell the following year with Bastia was followed by his move to Italy, this time departing City on a permanent basis without ever having featured for the first team.
Newcastle have also been eager to add a number of defensive reinforcements this month, with both Lille 's Sven Botman and Sevilla 's Diego Carlos heavily linked, however Howe recently admitted the club won't be held to ransom over transfers.
“You have to draw a line in certain situations and say, ‘No, we’re not going to pay that money’, otherwise where does the game go? It goes to an uncomfortable place, I think," Howe insisted last week.
“It’s all about the individual player and judging each situation on individual merits, and that’s what we’ve tried to do.
“Everyone’s well aware that we’re in the market for certain positions and that demand then drives the price up. There’s nothing we can do about that.
“The window continues to surprise everybody, I think. But you just have to live in that world. We have the needed players that we’ve identified and managed to get over the line.
“The cost of those players is uncomfortable, I’m sure, for everybody – that’s not talking about the individual cases, that’s just the prices of football players in general – but that’s the market we’re in.”
