Newcastle United are among the clubs interested in signing FC Metz midfielder Boubacar Traore this summer, according to a report from Football Insider.
The lowdown: Hot prospect
Signed from hometown club AS Bamako in Mali in August 2019, Traore has gone from strength to strength since moving to one of Europe's topmost leagues.
The 20-year-old youth international starlet has already made 30 first-team outings for Metz, but was unable to prevent relegation from Ligue 1 during 2021/22.
Now, after suffering the drop, it appears that Traore's future could lie elsewhere and the North East club look certain to face serious competition for this signature...
The latest: 'Plotting moves'
As per Football Insider, Newcastle, Leicester City, Southampton and Nottingham Forest are all considering signing the nine-cap Mali Under 20 starlet.
It's claimed that all four Premier League outfits including the Magpies are 'plotting moves' for Traore, whilst there is also interest from Monaco, Lyon and Nice.
The report also states that a 'recruitment source' has informed the outlet that the youngster, hailed as a 'pressing and dribbling machine' by football analyst Liam Henshaw, would be 'available for a fee in the region of £18m' during the ongoing window.
The verdict: Options needed
As things stand, Toon boss Eddie Howe is short of quality in the midfield department, with only Jonjo Shelvey, January signing Bruno Guimaraes and the transformed Joelinton in situ reliable performers on a consistent basis last season.
Although it remains a small sample size on which to base Traore's career to date, the 6-foot-tall enforcer has already shown consistency beyond his years whilst earning a 6.71 average Sofascore rating last season across 27 Ligue 1 outings.
Sharing similar stylistic traits with such well-known stars as Everton ace Allan, cultured Leeds United gem Adam Forshaw and highly-regarded teammate Pape Matar Sarr (Fbref), any move for the talented midfielder would be a welcome one even at the mooted asking price, particularly when taking into consideration that Newcastle will only need to supersede a current £790-a-week wage to persuade Traore to head to St James' Park (Salary Sport).