Newcastle United were on the verge of spending £35m to sign Boubakary Soumare from LOSC Lille in January. However, the move fell through (BBC) even though both the clubs had accepted on the transfer fee. Steve Bruce recently reflected on the failed move and explained why the transfer didn’t go over the line.
Steve Bruce reacts on Soumare’s failed transfer
The Newcastle boss said, ”We had a bid accepted that would have nearly got us to our record transfer eight days ago, but the player wanted to stay where he was, We were active – we were really, really active and it didn’t quite happen. We’ll just have to wait and see what we can do in the summer. He was our number one target and unfortunately, we couldn’t do it.”
Chelsea and Manchester United were also linked with the midfielder, but it seems like none of the two English giants made a concrete approach for him in this window. It was surprising to see Newcastle United going all out to bring in a defensive midfielder when they have lacked goals this season. Nevertheless, there is no doubting that Soumare would have been a handy addition for the Magpies.
What might Soumare have brought in at Newcastle?
The French midfielder is known for his tackling and intercepting abilities. Soumare shows a lot of fight and commitment when he gets to start in the middle. The defensive midfielder is far from a finished product, but there is no doubt that he has a lot of potential. Soumare has the strength and physicality to play in the Premier League, and he also can go past players using his dribbling skills.
Soumare is more than just a defensive player as he showcases quick feet and impressive close control. He might have to improve tactically, but that is only likely to come with more experience. The Frenchman is still just 21, and he has the potential to be a world-beater if he improves on his passing range.
The Toon should try their luck once again in the summer, but we believe that the midfielder is good enough to move to a club who could offer him Champions League football. Heavyweight clubs have already been linked with him, and maybe January was the last chance for the Magpies to lure Soumare. However, the Tyneside outfit doesn’t desperately need midfielder in their team, so missing out on him isn’t too big a blow for now.
