'Hard to say no': Transfer journalist expects £50m Newcastle United target is heading to Paris Saint-Germain

Another alleged Newcastle United target looks to be on the move somewhere other than Tyneside as Bournemouth look set to bag another £50m payday.

Bournemouth had perhaps their best ever season in the top flight during the last campaign, but all that seems to have done is shine a spotlight on their best players and alert the big clubs.

Real Madrid snapped up centre-back Dean Huijsen, but with a £50 million release clause, he was unlikely to stay at Bournemouth anyway, with so many clubs lining up to take the youngster off their hands.

Newcastle were one of the clubs keen on Huijsen, but they also had an eye on his defensive partner, Illia Zabarnyi, who also courted interest from several big clubs.

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Newcastle have been linked with an interest in Illia Zabarnyi

Bournemouth won't want to lose both of their star defenders, but after losing Huijsen, the Cherries are in serious danger of losing Zabarnyi too with Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain knocking as Graeme Bailey has told Geordie Boot Boys.

“So, Zabarnyi does look like he is going to go this summer, but as with Dean Huijsen, his former central defensive colleague, he won’t be staying in England.

“Newcastle are one of a number of Premier League clubs who like Zabarnyi a lot. He has been brilliant since arriving in the Premier League.

“But Paris Saint-Germain have had contact and the player wants to join them, and when the European champions come calling it is hard to say no.”

Was Illia Zabarnyi ever a real target for Newcastle?

Like so many of our reported targets, though, we've no idea just how serious Newcastle were about Zabarnyi and whether he even made it onto the serious targets list.

The problem with transfer chatter is that fans can get attached to an idea of signing someone, even journalists can (we're still flying that Jonathan David flag), and if that happens, then you'll see the same names popping up in more and more stories.

The reality is, we don't really know just how seriously the club are taking these links. Unless a journalist's source is someone directly involved in transfers (which is unlikely for 99% of them), then it's all just chatter that's been heard bouncing around the corridors of the club's training complex.

Believe what you want to believe, but until we see the player in/holding the shirt, it's all just guesswork. Fun guesswork, but guesswork nonetheless.