Newcastle United have reportedly shown interest in signing Leicester City forward, Islam Slimani. The Algerian born striker has been a long-term target for the Magpies. Le Buteur are now reporting that Newcastle United are set to battle with Everton in pursuit of the former Portuguese Super Cup winner.
In 2016, the Algerian put pen to paper in a club record deal worth £29 million with the Foxes. After an uneventful first year at the club, he now finds himself surplus to requirements. He has just made 10 appearances for the East Midlands club this season, scoring four goals and making one assist.
Islam Slimani has found himself behind in the pecking order to the likes of Jamie Vardy and Shinji Okazaki at the King Power Stadium. He has also fallen out of favour with both Craig Shakespeare and Claude Puel this season due to the lack of first-team chances.
The Foxes have used his services sporadically this season and are now ready to cash in on their asset. The focus is to recoup some of the money spent on him, with a whole host of Premier League clubs lining up to secure his signature. These clubs include the likes of Newcastle United, Everton and West Ham United.
Newcastle have made a mediocre start to the season and have struggled to score goals. The three first team strikers at the club have just scored 5 goals in between them in all competitions. Hence, Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez is now in the market for a forward who has the potential to take up some of the goal-scoring duties and ease the pressure at the club.
The Magpies are looking to add to their firepower in January and have identified the Algerian as an ideal candidate to lead them into a strong Premier League finish. It is expected that Islam Slimani would cost in the region of €20 million and any potential suitors need to cough up that kind of money to lure him away from the East Midland club.
The Algerian international was linked with Newcastle United and West Ham in the summer but a move never took place, with the Leicester forward settling to fight for his place in the first team.
Now that Leicester are looking to offload the striker, it remains to be seen whether he can reignite his career and return to his old form. The striker had a terrific goal scoring at Sporting Lisbon where he made his name by scoring 57 times in 111 appearances. He also has 55 international caps and has scored 26 goals for Algeria.
