In a recent print edition, L’Equipe has stated that Newcastle United remain keen on FC Metz youngster Pape Sarr and his teammate, Boubakar Kouyate. It is believed that the Magpies are one of several clubs keeping tabs on Sarr’s development at Stade Saint-Symphorien (transcripted and translated by Sport Witness).
Sarr’s Recent Emergence In French Football This Season
Since joining Metz from Generation Foot last summer, the Senegalese prospect has done well to break out as a first-team starter and deserves credit for putting in some impressive performances for the Ligue 1 outfit at the centre of the park.
Sarr has made 20 senior appearances for the French club this term, finding the back of the net on three occasions in the process across multiple competitions. The Thiaroye-born talent has given a good account of himself in both halves by averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 0.5 clearances, 1.2 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game in this Ligue 1 campaign. He has even been excellent when interchanging possession with his teammates in midfield, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 84.6% in the top tier of French football (stats via whoscored).
At such a young age, the 18-year-old has already established himself as a key member of Frédéric Antonetti’s squad, so the Magpies will do well to win the race to secure his signature when the transfer window reopens later this year.
Should Newcastle Get Sarr On Board This Summer?
Sarr has proven himself to be a tidy passer at the centre of the park and can hit the ball with power and accuracy from long range. He has decent pace under his belt which he can use to make some powerful runs with the ball from midfield. Therefore, Newcastle boss Steve Bruce can expect Sarr to add some energy and dynamism to his midfield department if he can get a deal done for the Sengalese whizkid this summer.
Sarr has shown that he can get stuck in with some good tackles that allow him to pull off a few crucial interceptions for his team. He is always willing to put his foot through the ball to keep the opposition at bay throughout the 90 minutes. However, the jury is still out on whether the Metz whizkid has enough experience in his locker to succeed in the Premier League where he might struggle to cope with the physical nature and high intensity of English football.
Even then, Bruce would be wise to get Sarr on board as he will add a lot of long-term value to the Tyneside club. Plus, the Magpies head coach has developed plenty of young talent during his long managerial career in English football, so he might fancy nurturing a player of Sarr’s skillset in the coming seasons so that he can become a future star at St. James’ Park.
