Newcastle United have ‘been offered’ the chance to sign Brighton and Hove Albion forward Leandro Trossard, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: £25m valuation

The Belgian’s contract at the Amex Stadium is set to expire at the end of the season, and having previously admitted that he could leave at some point in the near future, his future with the Seagulls is currently up in the air.

The Magpies were reportedly one of two clubs, alongside Premier League rivals Chelsea, to have been tracking the 28-year-old, with a £25m price tag put on his head.

The Latest: Newcastle pull out of Trossard race

Taking to Twitter, Jacobs revealed that Newcastle were given the opportunity to sign Trossard towards the end of last year, but refused his services as they wanted to land someone younger.

The CBS journalist tweeted: “Trossard has been offered to Spurs, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester United over the past two months. #LFC and #MUFC made it clear very quickly they had no interest. #NUFC also prefer a younger option.”

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The Verdict: Wrong decision

Trossard would have undoubtedly made Eddie Howe’s attacking ranks even stronger, so the decision to not recruit him when given the chance was completely incorrect.

The Belgium international has netted 25 goals and provided 14 assists during his time on the south coast, form which has seen him dubbed a ‘wizard’ by Charlie Haffenden.

Indeed, Dan Ashworth has already signed him before from when he worked at Brighton, which potentially would have given the Tyneside club the advantage in the transfer race for the 28-year-old, but in the end that’s obviously not what they wanted.