Newcastle United are potentially lining up a move for Rennes striker Gaetan Laborde, according to TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Eddie Howe currently has two recognised centre-forwards 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 and is under contract until June 2025.

The 28-year-old scored 15 Ligue 1 goals last season and netted five times in the Europa Conference League, finishing just outside the top five in the tournament's scoring charts.

The latest

According to TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), 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.

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 since joining Newcastle - while they may not be able to rely upon Wood, who has only scored one non-penalty goal in 20 appearances since he arrived at the club in January.

Laborde is comparatively prolific, and he also records high volumes 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's similar players model.

Newcastle fans may have come across Laborde earlier this year, when BT Sport 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.