Newcastle United have rejected Al Jazira's initial offer for midfielder Cheick Tiote, but the two clubs are not far from each other in terms of their respective valuations of the player, it has been claimed.
Tiote has just a year left on his contract at St. James' Park and is expected to move on this summer.
It did seem Tiote might be nearing the exit door when Newcastle left him out of their squad for a pre-season friendly on Tuesday, but Al Jazira's offer has been knocked back.
According to United Arab Emirates daily the National, Al Jazira's offer for Tiote was around the £800,000 mark.
And while it has been reported that the Magpies value Tiote at nearer £4m, it is claimed that both clubs' valuations of the player are not that far apart.
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Al Jazira are not likely to give up the chase for Tiote, but it remains to be seen whether a deal can be done to take the midfielder to the United Arab Emirates.
Currently Al Jazira have six foreign players in their squad, while Arabian Gulf League rules allow only four to take to the pitch.
As such, Al Jazira are considering offloading several foreign players. It is unclear whether they would seek to do so before sealing a deal for Tiote.
