Newcastle United transfer target Ibrahim Sangare could be the ‘perfect foil’ for Bruno Guimaraes in midfield, journalist Pete O’Rourke has said.

The Lowdown: Newcastle linked with Sangare

According to a report by Dutch outlet Voetbal Primeur, the Magpies and fellow Premier League outfit Leicester City are among the defensive midfielder’s most prominent admirers.

However, more recently, Sky Sports have claimed that Chelsea and Manchester United are also interested in signing the Ivory Coast international, with both clubs looking to reinforce their midfield engine rooms.

It is reported that Sangare has a £29.9m release clause in his contract, which is not due to expire until the summer of 2025.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s claim

O’Rourke believes that the arrival of Sangare at St James’ Park would allow fan favourite Guimaraes to push further forward, allowing the latter's attacking flair to flourish.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed: “Sangare has been linked with several Premier League teams.

“He’s had a very good season for PSV, and he looks like he could be the perfect foil for Bruno Guimaraes, allowing him to maybe push further forward in midfield and get into attacking positions and score goals while Sangare is sitting back in front of the defence and marshalling that side of the team.”

The Verdict: Strong prospective signing

Previously dubbed ‘an outstanding all-round midfielder’ by former PSV manager Roger Schmidt, it is easy to see how the 24-year-old earned that appraisal.

During the 2021/22 campaign, the Ivory Coast international topped some of his team's statistical leaderboards, averaging 3.3 tackles and 2.6 interceptions per game in the Eredivisie (via WhoScored).

Going forward, the midfielder totalled eight goal contributions in 49 appearances throughout the season (via Transfermarkt).

Therefore, Sangare’s well-rounded contributions both defensively and in an attacking sense illustrate why he would be a strong signing for Eddie Howe’s side, and indeed possibly let Guimaraes off the leash a bit more.

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