Lille Sporting Director Luís Campos Rejects Huge Offer from Newcastle United Amid Growing Inner Turmoil
By Josh Sim
Lille's director of football Luís Campos is reported to have turned down a huge offer from Newcastle United.
Having made his name at AS Monaco, where he helped to bring through the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Anthony Martial and Thomas Lemar, the 55-year-old joined Lille in 2017, helping the club transform from a relegation-threatened side to a team competing at the top end of Ligue 1, thanks to some shrewd transfer moves.
Yet with rumours of discontent with the internal dealings at the French club, and amid growing speculation that manager Christopher Galtier could be headed for Marseille, the Portuguese director is said to be considering his future at Les Dogues, with a reunion with former colleague José Mourinho said to be a major possibility at Tottenham.
Breaking | Luis Campos has turned down an astronomical offer from Newcastle United to become their Sporting Director, according to L’Équipe.
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) May 19, 2020
He did inform NUFC that he might be able to make recommendations to them via his Scoutly company, if Lille President Lopez allows him to.
But French publication L’Équipe are now reporting that another Premier League team in Newcastle have already reached out to Campos, with their soon-to-be Saudi owners having extended a massive offer for him to come to St James' Park and build a team to compete at the top end of the Premier League.
Yet it appears that the man himself has turned down the proposal, and has instead offered to make scouting recommendations for the Tyneside club via his company Scoutly, provided that Lille president Gérard Lopez gives him permission to.
The media outlet further states that Campos instead apparently has no intention of leaving Lille, but wants changes to be implemented regarding the club's inner hierachy.
But it also concedes in its report that there's certainly a chance that the 55-year-old moves to Spurs, where Lille's former assistant coaches João Sacramento and Nuno Santos are working under Mourinho. His former club AS Monaco are also mentioned as a possible destination, given that it is where his company are registered.
The move could have helped Newcastle in the market, given their reported links with Lille's midfield star Boubakary Soumaré, and with striker Victor Oshimen rumoured to want a move to the Premier League.