Anthony Gordon is history at St. James and ready for Barcelona. Sandro Tonali is on his way to Tottenham, while Arsenal are working intensely to bring Bruno Guimaraes to the Emirates. Three of Eddie Howe’s and Newcastle’s most important players. So how will Newcastle deal with this in the transfer market? A young winger worth €50 million is given the task of filling the gap left by Gordon.
You saw him when Norway sunk the Ivory Coast in the round of 16 without noticing him. Bazoumana Touré came in in the 90th + 2nd minute without finding a crack in the Norwegian defense. Kicker reports 20-year-old Touré’s €50 million transfer from Hoffenheim to Newcastle complete. Transfer journalist Ropmano confirms: “Bazoumana Touré will sign a long-term contract with Newcastle this week, as travel authorisation is confirmed and medical treatment is in place.”
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So who is the Ivorian winger, who is now thrown into the world’s toughest league to replace Anthony Gordon?
After a short six-month adjustment period, Touré made his breakthrough in the Bundesliga last season, making an impressive 17 direct goal contributions in 30 league appearances for Christian Ilzer’s side, attracting interest from several top European clubs in the process.
Florian Först, a scouting expert on Kickfieber.de, has followed Touré since his early rise at Swedish club Hammarby and has a clear idea of what Newcastle fans can expect from the 20-year-old.
“Even during his time at Hammarby, Bazoumana Touré was considered one of Europe’s most exciting talents. The move to Hoffenheim came as a surprise at the time, but in retrospect it turned out to be just the right move for the young Ivorian,” Första told Bulinews.com.
As Första explains, Touré’s greatest strengths lie in his lightning-fast speed and agility – a difficult combination for defenders to handle.
“His biggest advantage is his speed combined with his agility. This makes the winger difficult to contain when dribbling, further aided by his low centre of gravity. Consequently, Touré ranked among the best players in his position last season for successful dribbling and progressive runs,” says Först.
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However, Touré is not only a strong dribbler but also a tireless worker.
“His high work rate on the pitch is also worth noting; with over 760 sprints, he was by far the most diligent player in the Bundesliga in this regard. Furthermore, Touré proved to be an outstanding player, often demonstrating excellent vision.”
As a 20-year-old, it’s only natural that Touré still has room for development, and Första points to finishing and passing as important areas for improvement.
“There is still room for improvement in his finishing; Touré scored just five goals in total for Hoffenheim. He often lacked the necessary composure and clinical edge in front of goal. The 20-year-old can also improve his passing – especially in terms of pace and accuracy, as well as his progressive passing game,” said Först.
Despite his clear potential, Första believes that Touré will need time to adapt to the Premier League and should not be seen as a direct replacement for Anthony Gordon, who has moved to FC Barcelona.
“By signing Touré, Newcastle United have secured one of Europe’s most exciting wingers. Given his high speed and tremendous work effort, the left-footer is a good fit for the Premier League and his vision could make him a key player for [Nick] Woltemade,” he said, before concluding:
“That said, it will take some patience to allow him to adapt to this even higher level of competition. However, Touré will not be a direct replacement for Anthony Gordon; The profiles and quality levels of the two players vary too much (for now).”
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Touré’s move to Newcastle is yet to be officially confirmed, but that is expected to change soon.
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