Newcastle can finally wave farewell to ASM by signing "magic" £12.6m-rated machine - opinion

Newcastle United take on Burnley on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday, with the Magpies set to come up against a player on whom they had set their sights last summer in Maxwel Cornet.

Fortunately for the St James’ Park outfit, their failure to secure the signing of the Ivorian won’t come back to haunt them this weekend, with Eddie Howe having steered the previously relegation-threatened Toon into contention for a top-half finish after an outstanding second half of the campaign.

Having once looked like a game which could decide the top-flight fate of both teams, the meeting at Turf Moor no longer has much riding on it for the visitors. However, a victory could well bolster their hopes of securing the services of Cornet at the second time of asking, should the Clarets drop into the Championship.

Reports last August suggested that Newcastle, who were then managed by Steve Bruce, were considering a move for the former Lyon forward, although they ultimately lost out as he made the £12.9m switch to Lancashire towards the end of the summer transfer window.

While the Magpies’ recent sparkling form has eased the blow of missing out on the 25-year-old, they will perhaps rue not having snapped him up for what appears to be a relative bargain price when they had the chance.

However, should Burnley finish in the bottom three, the 25-cap Ivory Coast international could become available once mpre for a reduced fee, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealing that there is a £17.5m relegation clause in the forward’s existing deal.

The £44k-per-week gem is likely to be at the centre of a transfer tussle should that scenario occur, with his form in his debut season in England likely to have caught the eye of numerous