Lyon signing Youssouf Kone has revealed he rejected an offer from Newcastle United this summer.
The Mali international chose to swap Lille from Lyon because of "sporting" reasons.
In an interview with OL-Mercato, Kone said: "OL made an approach, and I did not think for a single second. I said to myself, 'I'll go there.' The project pleased me. I followed the French Championship when I was in Mali, and Lyon is a team that has always played football.
"If I had looked at the financial side, I would have gone to Newcastle, but I preferred to look at the sporting aspect."
