Newcastle United target Andre-Pierre Gignac has reportedly opened up talks with his club Marseille in regards to extending his contract. Gignac has been linked with a move to Newcastle with the Magpies having heavily scouted French football in recent years, which has seen the Tynesiders bring a number of lesser-known talented players to the Premier League. Newcastle will need to sign a striker in the summer transfer window with loanee Loic Remy unlikely to remain at St James’ Park, with a number of bigger clubs interested in signing the Queens Park Rangers forward. Also, without Remy, Newcastle have been poor this season – losing nine of 11 games without the 27-year-old, and would need to bolster their attacking options even if they managed to broker a permanent deal for the on-loan star. Newcastle are believed to have sounded out Marseille striker Gignac as a transfer target, however, their hopes of signing the Marseille forward appears to have been handed a blow after, according to local newspaper La Provence, he has opened up talks with the club in regards to a contract extension. However, if he is to extend his stay at Marseille then it is understood that Gignac must take a pay-cut to his current 63,000-a-week contract.
