Newcastle United have made a move to sign Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara, according to The Daily Mail.
What’s the latest Newcastle transfer news?
The report claims there is a hope on Tyneside that the midfielder could be signed for as little as £10m given he is in the final year of his contract and there has been a financial crisis in Ligue 1 as a result of the collapse of their TV deal.
Midfield is believed to be an area of concern to manager Steve Bruce after a chronic lack of investment in that particular department over the last few years. Not since the signing of Mikel Merino have the club actually spent money there and bringing in more options for the squad appears to be somewhat of a priority.
How good is Kamara?
According to FBREF data, the 21-year-old ranks among the best in Europe in some key areas.
Indeed, the French U21 international’s averages for tackles, clearances and aerial duels won per game over the last year sees him rank within the top 85 percentile of central midfielders within the continent’s major five leagues. While, clearly, football isn’t as easy as to simply translate that into a Premier League context – particularly in a side that can look as disjointed as Newcastle last season – but they certainly are promising signs.
Considering a lack of dynamism in the midfield has been lamented by the likes of Chris Waugh, his arrival could well be a welcome one.
What has been said about Kamara?
Speaking to French outlet RMC Sport last year, former Marseille teammate Rolando poured praised over the player.
“This kid is a phenomenon. When he started training with us, he was 15-years-old. And from the first day, I said: ‘This little one is going to be a great player’.
“He’s the kind of centre-back that I love. He is full of qualities, and, above all, he works, he listens. It is out of the ordinary. I already told him: ‘In a few years, you will invite me to go see your matches for the France team and I can say that I played with you when you were 15-years-old’. I am sure and certain. He is very good, besides being a good person.”
