LYON are set to step up their interest in Aleksandar Mitrovic, having made the Newcastle United striker their number one attacking target ahead of Borussia Monchengladbach’s Thorgan Hazard.

Despite already having signed six new players this summer, Lyon are keen to make one more big-money addition before the start of the new Ligue 1 season.

Their head coach, Bruno Genesio, wants to sign another forward, with Mitrovic and Hazard having topped his wanted list for the majority of the summer.

However, negotiations with Borussia Monchengladbach officials have convinced the Lyon hierarchy they will not be able to sign Hazard, who is the younger brother of Chelsea forward, Eden, for less than €25m.

That is outside Lyon’s price range, and a pursuit of Hazard would also be complicated by competing interest from a number of clubs in the Premier League.

The Lyon board have therefore concluded a move for Mitrovic is a more appealing option, and sources in France claim the Ligue 1 club are set to table a formal offer of around €15m.

Newcastle are willing to sell Mitrovic this summer, with the striker having failed to hold down a first-team place in the Championship last season.

However, managing director Lee Charnley is set to demand at least €20m for the Serbia international, and it remains to be seen whether Lyon will be willing to meet that asking price.

Mitrovic, who scored Newcastle’s goal in Saturday’s 1-1 friendly draw at Preston, is one of only three out-and-out strikers currently on the Magpies’ books, and one of those – Emmanuel Riviere – is expected to leave Tyneside this summer.

However, Rafael Benitez believes he can secure a better option than Mitrovic for around £16m, and will give his backing to a decision to sell the 22-year-old if Newcastle’s demands are satisfied.

Mitrovic’s departure would leave Benitez needing to sign two new forwards, as he is already targeting a striker and a goalkeeper.

He has been unable to land a succession of goalkeeping targets, with the likes of Pepe Reina, Willy Caballero and Joe Hart either heading elsewhere or remaining with their current employers.

Newcastle have been linked with a move for Sam Clucas in the last 24 hours, and have been monitoring for the Hull midfielder for a number of weeks.

However, midfield is not regarded as a priority at the moment, although that could change if the Magpies were to make progress with their search for players at either end of the field.

The start of the new Premier League season is now less than three weeks away, and defender Paul Dummett accepts each and every player will have to fight for their place in the line-up to face Spurs on the opening weekend, no matter what they achieved last season.

“The squad we have did well to win the league last season,” said Dummett. “Everyone who is in the squad is desperate to show what they have got.

“We all want to be playing, so it is up to us to fight for our place. We know we have good competition, so we want to hit the ground running (in the) first game of the season.”