Borussia Dortmund have reportedly earmarked Newcastle United striker Papiss Cisse as a top summer transfer target.

The Bundesliga outfit have high-flying Robert Lewandowski to spearhead the attack but the Poland international's agent has stated the player is likely to leave the Westfalenstadion at the end of the season. The 24-year-old has been heavily linked with Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

Papiss Cisse
Reuters

Should Lewandowski leave, Dortmund chiefs will enter the market to look for a new centre-forward and the Express believes they have settled on the Magpies' Senegalese international. The 27-year-old does have prior experience of the Bundesliga, having spent two seasons with Freiburg. He made 67 appearances for the club and scored 39 times.

Cisse hit the ground running at St James' Park, following his January move last year, scoring 13 goals from 14 league games. He has struggled to find the same form this term but has still found the back of the net on 13 occasions in all competitions.

Cisse has four years left on his present contract and the Mirror claims Alan Pardew is determined to hold on to his No 9 in the summer. In any case, if Dortmund are interested, Cisse is likely to cost close to double the £8m Newcastle reportedly spent on him.

Shearer: Pardew Still the Man for Magpies

Meanwhile, former Newcastle No 9 Alan Shearer feels the club should continue to keep faith in Pardew despite poor recent results. The Magpies' catastrophic 0-6 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday means they have dropped just a little bit closer to the relegation battle.

"We have massively under-achieved [this season]. It has brought calls from many fans for a change of manager. I would not join that clamour. I think Pardew has enough credit in the bank from last season to be afforded another chance. But he is under massive pressure," Shearer wrote in his column in The Sun.

Newcastle are 16th in the league, five points clear of Wigan Athletic in 18th, with only three games left.

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