Newcastle Defender Set for Loan Move to Genoa With Option to Buy for Rumoured €3.5m

Newcastle left-back Achraf Lazaar is set to make a return to Serie A after talks involving a loan move to Genoa took place on Wednesday, according to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Moroccan, who will also have an option to stay at the Italian side for around €3.5m at the end of the loan, has barely featured for the Magpies since joining from Palermo in 2016 and has been identified by manager Rafa Benítez as one of the players to be sacrificed in order to trim the wage bill at St James Park.

Lazaar joined Newcastle for £2.5m and signed a 5-year-deal in the process, but was understudy to Paul Dummett last season and the arrivals of defenders Florian Lejeune and Javier Manquillo have pushed him further down the pecking order.

It is believed that Genoa have made Lazaar their number one target to replace Atalanta-bound Diego Laxalt and the Moroccan is set to be only their second signing of the transfer window.

The Italian side survived relegation by just four points last season and are looking to strengthen a squad that relied heavily on forward Giovanni Simeone's 13 goals.

Image by Freddie Carty

Meanwhile Newcastle travel to West Ham United on Saturday looking to register their first win of the season, and will be boosted by the arrival of former Stoke City striker Joselu to their squad.