Newcastle must avoid signing this star they bid £45m for in January – Agreed?

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Meghna Sengupta

Why Newcastle should avoid signing Boubakary Soumare in the summer

According to a report by Le 10 Sport (h/t Daily Express), Newcastle United will make a renewed attempt to sign Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare in the summer.

The report further claims that the Magpies remain undaunted in their pursuit despite interest from Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool. After a failed £45m move in the recently concluded January window, should Newcastle sign him in the summer?

Le 10 Sport (h/t Daily Express) further suggests that Newcastle will offer him guaranteed playtime if he chooses to move to St. James’ Park. His salary will also double up to roughly £1.67million per season. Clearly, the Magpies are relentlessly chasing the midfielder’s signature.

As far as Newcastle are concerned, they could do with additional reinforcements. Currently placed 14th in the league standings, they have performed admirably enough to position themselves in and around the top half of the table.

However, the fact that they have leaked 41 goals in 27 league games does raise concerns. With a goal difference of -17, Newcastle could find themselves in hot water if push comes to shove.

boubakary soumare

To provide additional support to the defence – and to establish a leader in the midfield – signing Soumare does make sense for Newcastle. But if one takes a look at his statistics, the numbers hardly do justice to the efforts the club are taking to acquire his signature.

In 19 Ligue 1 appearances this term, he has registered an average of 1 tackle, 0.8 interceptions and 0.4 clearances per game, as per WhoScored. Considering the toughness and physicality of the Premier League, it is hard to see a player like Soumare making an impact – especially since his stats in the Ligue 1 look far from promising.

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Granted, he is not a centre-back but these numbers aren’t winning him any favours as a defensive midfielder. Steve Bruce has managed to establish a rhythm of sorts and the team has responded well. To further their progress, it is necessary to bring in a proven player.

Newcastle already have Sean Longstaff and Matthew Longstaff as young midfield stars and they would be wise to avoid signing Soumare anytime soon.