Why Newcastle United should reignite interest in Jonathan Bamba
Back in February 2018, French outlet L’Equipe (h/t Chronicle Live) had reported that Newcastle United were lining up a move for Jonathan Bamba, who was plying his trade with Saint-Etienne back then.
However, the young forward ended up joining fellow Ligue 1 outfit LOSC Lille on a free transfer in 2018, thus pouring cold water on rumours linking him with a move to Tyneside.
Profile
Jonathan Bamba rose through the youth ranks of Saint-Etienne and made his first-team debut in Ligue 1 during the 2014-15 season. He then spent time on loan at Paris FC in Ligue 2, Sint-Truiden in Belgium and fellow top-flight outfit Angers before establishing himself as a regular starter at Saint-Etienne.
The 24-year-old bagged 9 goals and 11 assists in 52 appearances for Saint-Etienne before joining Lille on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract. Bamba made an instant impact at his new club with a 13-goal haul in Ligue 1 in his debut season and has continued to enhance his reputation as one of the best young creative players in the French top-flight.
Bamba has amassed a total of 19 goals and 17 assists in 91 appearances for Lille in all competitions so far. The winger has represented France across various levels between U-16 and U-21 but remains eligible to switch his allegiance to Ivory Coast at the senior level.
Bamba would add more depth to Newcastle’s attack
Newcastle roped in Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson to bolster their attack in the summer but the Magpies can certainly do with more depth and quality down the flanks. Fraser has struggled to make a big impression at Tyneside so far while Miguel Almiron’s end product just hasn’t been up to the mark over the past 12 months.
Jacob Murphy’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season. Christian Atsu has also failed to make the cut for Steve Bruce’s PL squad this season. This clearly shows the Ghanaian is not in the manager’s plans.
Allan Saint-Maximin has been one of the bright sparks in Newcastle’s attack this season alongside summer signing Wilson, who is currently the top-scorer with 6 goals in 8 games. Saint-Maxmin recently put pen to paper on a new deal to commit his long-term future at Tyneside. But the Magpies need some quality alternatives to reduce the workload on the Frenchman’s shoulders.
To put things into perspective, Newcastle making a renewed attempt to sign Jonathan Bamba would definitely make a lot of sense.
The 24-year-old has backed up his impressive numbers in the French top-flight with some quality displays in the Champions League and Europa League over the past 12 months. That clearly underlines his potential to make the step up to a more competitive league moving forward.
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Verdict
Jonathan Bamba has progressed by leaps and bounds over the past few years and still has his best years ahead of him at 24.
He has already started to deliver on his potential in France and looks more than capable of coming through the door at St. James’ Park. Having said that, the Magpies should definitely reignite their interest in Bamba at the earliest.
