Newcastle United are reportedly one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana this summer.
Who is Youssouf Fofana?
The 24-year-old has grown into an important figure at Monaco recently, shining in a defensive midfield role and protecting the back-line in impressive fashion.
Last season, Fofana started 35 of his side's 38 Ligue 1 matches, highlighting what an integral player he is, also making six appearances for France at the 2022 World Cup, two of which were starts.
The £7,300-a-week Frenchman is out of contract at Monaco next summer, meaning they could be forced to sell him this time around, rather than potentially lose him on a free transfer in 2024.
He is unlikely to be without suitors, and it looks as though Newcastle are right in the mix to sign him, as they look to make significant reinforcements ahead of next season.
Are Newcastle signing Fofana? According to L'Equipe, Newcastle and Arsenal have entered the race to sign Fofana this summer, with West Ham also credited with interest in him. The Hammers see him as an ideal replacement for Declan Rice, who looks almost certain to leave for pastures new, but they could find it difficult to have the pulling power to pip the others to his signature.
The report does stress that no significant progress has been made regarding a summer exit, however, with Monaco seemingly in no rush to sell despite his contract situation.
Fofana could be a really astute addition to Newcastle's squad this summer, at a time when Eddie Howe is likely to want an out-and-out defensive midfielder to allow Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes to dictate matches, especially with Champions League football also to contend with in 2023/24.
He averaged 2.3 tackles per game in both Ligue 1 and the Europa League last term – more than both Tonali and Bruno across all competitions – highlighting the defensive expertise he can provide, and he is at an age where his best years should still be ahead of him.
The Magpies are now at the stage where they need to be rotating regularly, in order to thrive across several different competitions. And he could even become an immediate key starter, considering he is more naturally defensive than those mentioned.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed the Frenchman as "wonderful" – which could mean Newcastle's midfield ends up looking even more balanced moving forward.
