Newcastle United have opened talks with the agents of Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara, who is a target for Manchester United and West Ham United.
According to the Northern Echo, Newcastle United have started negotiations with Olympique Marseille midfield mainstay Boubacar Kamara over a free transfer in the summer. The Frenchman is also in talks with the Magpies’ rivals Manchester United and West Ham United.
Kamara has grown into one of the most reliable defensive midfielders in the French top-flight over the past couple of years. With his contract running out at the end of the season, the 22-year-old looks primed for an exit in the summer.
Kamara has garnered a lot of attention from the Premier League, with Manchester United and Newcastle believed to have been vying to sign him in January. However, a move did not materialise and he stayed put at his boyhood club for the remainder of the campaign.
However, it seems like Newcastle and Manchester United still retain an interest in the 22-year-old and have been joined by other clubs like West Ham and Crystal Palace in pursuit of the Marseille star.
Newcastle spent over £90 million in January, which has helped them climb out of the relegation zone. With Eddie Howe’s side headed for safety, more heavy spending can be expected in the summer as their new owners prepare to launch their project on a big scale.
Several positions across the pitch will need to be reinforced, with the defensive midfield being a key area of concern for the Magpies. Isaac Hayden has been frozen out by Howe and looks set to depart in the summer, while the Longstaff brothers, Sean and Matty, have failed to kick on as expected. Newcastle need a good No. 6 who can sit deep and allow the likes of Jonjo Shelvey and Bruno Guimaraes to flourish.
Kamara would be a viable target for Newcastle, and as per the report, they have already begun preliminary talks with his camp over a summer move. But the Magpies are set to face strong competition for his services as Manchester United are also keen on the 22-year-old to address their own problems in the defensive midfield position.
Neither Fred nor Scott McTominay has excelled while playing as a No. 6, whereas Nemanja Matic is being phased out of the first team. A holding midfielder is the need of the hour for the Red Devils, with Declan Rice being their top target. However, signing the Englishman will not be easy, so Kamara could be an ideal alternative.
As for West Ham United, they are set to lose long-serving club captain Mark Noble, who will retire at the end of the season. Loanee Alex Kral is unlikely to be signed permanently after a disappointing campaign so far. It would leave David Moyes with just Rice and Tomas Soucek as his frontline options in midfield, making Kamara a possible candidate to bring in and strengthen the position.
Newcastle, Manchester United and West Ham have all held preliminary talks with the 22-year-old’s entourage over a Bosman move. It remains to be seen who is willing to meet his £150,000-a-week wage demands and sign him in the summer.
