---
title: "Newcastle: Gaetan Laborde a target for the Magpies"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-transfer-news-gaetan-laborde-eddie-howe/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Newcastle United News"
published: "2022-08-23T18:40:59Z"
modified: "2022-08-23T18:40:59Z"
---

# Newcastle: Gaetan Laborde a target for the Magpies

**[Newcastle United](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-united-news/) are potentially lining up a move for Rennes striker Gaetan Laborde, according to [TuttoMercatoWeb](https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/calcio-estero/tmw-il-rennes-attivo-anche-sul-fronte-cessioni-laborde-nel-mirino-del-siviglia-1720481) (via [Sport Witness](https://sportwitness.co.uk/west-ham-newcastle-target-pack-bags-final-days-window-duo-trail/)).**

### The lowdown

Eddie Howe currently has [two recognised centre-forwards](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/newcastle-united/kader/verein/762) to call upon in Callum Wilson and Chris Wood, but it seems that he wants to bolster his options in that department.

Laborde moved from Montpellier to Rennes last summer for [£13.5m](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/gaetan-laborde/transfers/spieler/181378) and is under contract until [June 2025](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/gaetan-laborde/profil/spieler/181378).

The 28-year-old [scored](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/gaetan-laborde/leistungsdaten/spieler/181378/plus/0?saison=2021) 15 Ligue 1 goals last season and netted five times in the Europa Conference League, [finishing just outside the top five](https://supersport.com/football/uefa-europa-conference-league/top-scorers/) in the tournament’s scoring charts.

### The latest

According to [TuttoMercatoWeb](https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/calcio-estero/tmw-il-rennes-attivo-anche-sul-fronte-cessioni-laborde-nel-mirino-del-siviglia-1720481) (via [Sport Witness](https://sportwitness.co.uk/west-ham-newcastle-target-pack-bags-final-days-window-duo-trail/)), Rennes are apparently working on selling players as the end of the transfer window approaches.

Either Laborde of Martin Terrier ‘could pack his bags’ before the transfer deadline. The former has attracted ‘many requests’, with Newcastle and West Ham both ‘on his trail’.

Laborde also has a domestic suitor in the form of Lille, along with a La Liga option in Sevilla.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”389224″\]

### The verdict

You can see why Howe might want to sign another striker prior to 1 September.

Wilson’s injury history is a worry – he has [missed 35 games in two seasons](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/callum-wilson/verletzungen/spieler/123682) since joining Newcastle – while they may not be able to rely upon Wood, who has only scored [one non-penalty goal in 20 appearances](https://fbref.com/en/players/4e9a0555/Chris-Wood) since he arrived at the club in January.

Laborde is comparatively prolific, and he also [records high volumes](https://fbref.com/en/players/7cdda3bf/Gaetan-Laborde) of assists (84th percentile among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues), pressures (83rd) and interceptions (72nd). Statistically speaking, he’s similar to Ollie Watkins at Aston Villa and Michail Antonio at West Ham, as per [FBRef](https://fbref.com/en/players/7cdda3bf/Gaetan-Laborde)‘s similar players model.

Newcastle fans may have come across Laborde earlier this year, when [BT Sport](https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/status/1495425619588521987) posted a clip showing him scoring a Panenka penalty but then apologising to the goalkeeper afterwards.

Brilliantly intuitive and evidently a threat in the final third, he could be a very astute signing by the Magpies if they bring him in.