Newcastle United target Boubacar Kamara intends to leave Marseille on a free transfer, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein. 

The lowdown

The Tyneside club tried to sign the 22-year-old on transfer deadline day in August but he rejected both them and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Circumstances are now significantly different at St James' Park, though, with the takeover complete and Eddie Howe installed as Steve Bruce's replacement.

Kamara's £46,000-per-week contract at the Stade Velodrome is due to expire at the end of the season, which means he would be able to agree a summer move to a foreign club from January 1.

The latest

As per The Athletic, Marseille have recently tried to persuade Kamara to commit to a new deal, but it has been deemed 'too late'. The Ligue 1 outfit could make one final push to keep him at the club, but it seems that the player himself has already decided not to agree a new contract and is set to leave as a free agent next June.

'Lines of communication' remain open with Newcastle, but he is also attracting interest from elsewhere in the Premier League, with Manchester United reportedly keeping tabs. Bayern Munich and Barcelona are in the frame as well, so the competition is pretty daunting for the Magpies.

The verdict

It will be interesting to see whether Newcastle pursue a cut-price January deal or seek to line up a summer move for Kamara.

The Northern Echo's Scott Wilson reported that players in the final six months of their contracts would be prime targets for PIF in the winter.

Hailed as a 'phenomenon' by former team-mate Rolando, the 22-year-old would be a real statement signing for the new ownership at St James' Park given the calibre of the competition and his immense potential. Indeed, Ornstein wrote that the defensive midfielder is regarded as one of the best emerging talents in his position in world football.

That position isn't fixed, either - he can also play as a centre-back and on the right, further enhancing his appeal to Newcastle after Bruce's unsuccessful attempts to bring him to the club earlier this year.

In other news, Newcastle are also eyeing this Premier League ace