Newcastle’s bid of €35m for French powerhouse rejected: Worth the extra outlay?

Newcastle United’s attempt to sign Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare has not been successful as the French club have reportedly rejected a bid. Soumare is a player who was a part of the Paris Saint-Germain youth academy before moving to Lille in 2017.

As per journalist Fabrizio Romano, Lille have reportedly rejected a sizeable bid of €35 million for Boubakary Soumare from Newcastle United. Soumare has been linked with quite a few different clubs over the last few months.

The player had reportedly rejected a move to the Magpies in the January transfer window after the French club had accepted Newcastle’s bid earlier this year.

The 21-year-old Frenchman has two years remaining on his current deal at Lille.

Boubakary Soumare: Is he worth the extra outlay?

Boubakary Soumare is yet another exciting young midfielder to come out of French football. The 6’2″ operator is a strong and tough player, who has the energy, desire and work-rate to drive from one box to the other.

Soumare has played as a defensive midfielder or central midfielder and has used his wide range of passing to good effect in the Lille midfield. The Frenchman is confident on the ball and can control the midfield area with his short and long passes. He is a player that has the desire to work hard in the middle of the park, using his strength and intelligence to tackle, pass, and run with the ball.

Soumare has very good close control and has shown that he can drive the ball forward, and he can be a very effective player in counter-attacking situations with his dribbling and smart passing. Newcastle United would benefit hugely from having a powerhouse of a midfielder like Boubakary Soumare.

The Frenchman would become the first-choice midfielder if he does join the Magpies and would be a good fit alongside Isaac Hayden, Jeff Hendrick, or Sean Longstaff, in midfield. He will also complement someone like Jonjo Shelvey very well, who likes to venture forward and freeing him of defensive shackles will let the Englishman work his magic in the opposition half.

With the likes of Ryan Fraser, Allan Saint-Maximin, and Callum Wilson – all quick players, Soumare’s vision and passing could give the Magpies an edge in attack also. His signing would also strengthen the squad and give manager Steve Bruce more options to choose from in the middle of the park, which has been one of the key areas holding Newcastle back against quality opposition.