'We're Not Signing Anyone': Sceptical Newcastle Fans Pour Scorn on Reported Interest in Ligue 1 Star

Newcastle United fans sound less than impressed with the claim - tweeted by football writer Robin Bairner - that their club could be interested in signing Toulouse defender Christopher Jullien.

According to Bairner, Jullien is also coveted by Southampton and Everton and could be available for what he calls the 'bargain' price of €10m. The 25-year-old centre back has made 69 league appearances for Toulouse, scoring five goals.

Newcastle's impressive tenth-placed finish in the Premier League last season owed a great deal to their defensive solidity, so it is understandable that Rafael Benitez wants to ensure that the Magpies' back line remains as strong as possible.

However, one could argue that they mainly need reinforcements at the other end of the pitch - 39 goals in 38 league matches last season was a pitiful tally.

In any case, many Magpies fans seem sceptical that their club will actually go from 'tracking' Jullien to making a concrete bid for him. At least these fans seem to have a sense of humour about Mike Ashley's notorious unwillingness to open his wallet:

To put it mildly, other fans found it rather more difficult to maintain their cheerful disposition. Paz and Rich Wearz, in particular, have clearly had enough of Ashley's penny-pinching ways:

And yet, amid all the scepticism and frustration, at least one fan seemed willing to entertain the possibility that the Magpies might actually sign Jullien:

Well, that's always assuming that Jamaal Lascelles actually stays at St James' Park, Richard. Still, stranger things have happened.