According to the Daily Star, Newcastle United are looking to make a move for the French youngster Boubakary Soumare. The 20-year-old central midfielder is currently plying his trade with the Ligue 1 side Lille and has attracted the attention of a number of big name clubs from all over Europe.
The Magpies have started to show resilience in the Premier League in a bid to stay afloat in the top flight and are looking to get results in their favour. However, manager Rafa Benitez would be well aware of the fact that he would need a few top quality players in his squad for the next term, making Soumare a top priority target for the Tyneside club.
The Paris Saint Germain Academy graduate has been a revelation for his current club. Though he is yet to make a senior team appearance in the Ligue 1 matches, the young French midfield ace has shown his quality in the Cup encounters. His display for the Lille first team has also drawn attention from some of the biggest clubs in Europe as they look to make a move for the 20-year old midfielder.
Newcastle United have some decent options in their squad in the form of Issac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey, Mohamed Diame and Sean Longstaff. However, the inclusion of a player like Soumare could help to stimulate the creativity in the middle of the pitch for the Magpies, which they have lacked for quite some time. Besides, the French youngster also has an eye for the goal, which could come in very handy for Benitez’s side.
Rafa Benitez is known for his tactical brilliance and he, despite all the financial restrictions, has done exceedingly well with whatever resources he has had at his disposal. He has implemented a 5-4-1 system, which sees midfielders dominating most of the game in their half and break into counter-attack whenever the opportunity is there. The perfect example of this tactical masterclass was their victory against Everton as they came back from a 2-0 deficit to win the match by 3-2, taking advantage of the defensive lapses from the Toffees on the counter.
In this scenario, the presence of a player like Soumare might help the Magpies to a great extent. The French ace can go up the pitch with his darting runs and ball control and is also capable of falling deep to initiate attacks from the middle of the pitch with his accurate passing. So his possible addition can provide a versatile option in the midfield to Benitez if they can land him next summer.
The player reportedly has a heavy price tag on him, which is evident from the fact that Lille rejected Manchester City’s £22m bid last year. This might be a turn-off for a financially challenged club like Newcastle United. However, if they can invest in the player and bring him to St James Park, it would be money worth spending as the Magpies would get an asset in their midfield for a long time to come. So it would be wise for the Tyneside club to go in for the young midfield ace next summer.
