The Athletic has recently reported that Newcastle United made a futile effort to recruit Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Boubacar Kamara in the recently concluded summer transfer period. It is understood that the Magpies launched an attempt to sign the French talent but failed to get a deal done for him before the transfer deadline.
Kamara’s Impressive Form At The Orange Vélodrome Last Season
The 21-year-old proved himself to be a solid midfielder for Marseille in the previous campaign when he managed to find some consistency with his contributions at the centre of the park. Kamara picked up two assists but failed to score any goals in 43 matches for the French side last season in multiple competitions.
The Marseille-born talent contributed in a lot of meaningful ways after he averaged 2.4 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 1.3 clearances, 0.6 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game in the Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League. He was also careful when distributing possession from midfield based on his pass success rate of 86.2% in both those competitions (stats via whoscored).
Kamara is currently amongst the most promising young midfielders in French football. Hence, it would have been a massive coup for the Magpies if they managed to bring him on board before the transfer window slammed shut at the end of last month.
Should Newcastle United Go Back In For Kamara In January?
Kamara can disrupt the opposition’s flow in the game by making some crunching tackles in midfield. He has got the hunger to hunt the ball back for his team and can also pull off a few crucial clearances at the back when needed.
The French midfield ace is usually a composed presence in midfield and can make some decent dashes with the ball in the opposition half. However, he is quite inexperienced at the highest level, so the jury is still out on whether he can prove his worth outside his homeland.
Kamara has the potential to become a world-class defensive midfielder someday. Plus, he has all the skillset needed to earn a regular starting place at St. James’ Park in the coming seasons. Therefore, the Magpies should think about going back in for him when the transfer window reopens in January.
Bruce could potentially land Kamara on a cut-price fee as the player’s current contract at the Orange Velodrome is set to expire at the end of this campaign. At 21, the future is quite bright for the promising youngster which is why Newcastle should step up their pursuit to recruit him this winter.
