According to Africa Foot, Newcastle United have opened talks to sign AFC Bournemouth star Dango Ouattara this summer.
Newcastle will be back in action in the Premier League this week after a euphoric few weeks of celebrating their Carabao Cup victory over Liverpool at Wembley Stadium earlier this month.
The Magpies will be hoping the hangover doesn’t creep into their next fixture against Brentford on Wednesday, as they attempt to upgrade their experience on the European stage for next season from confirmed Conference League to Champions League.
Eddie Howe will want to end this historic season for the club on the highest of highs, and qualifying for the Champions League would be the cherry on top of an incredible campaign for the manager and his squad.
Behind the scenes, sporting director Paul Mitchell will be responsible for building upon their recent success and ensuring that the recruitment is right to avoid waiting another 70 years for a major trophy on Tyneside.
The summer transfer window will be an incredible opportunity for Newcastle to improve the squad, adding depth in crucial areas of the squad to boost their chances of competing on all fronts next season.
It was reported over the weekend that Newcastle have opened talks to sign Bournemouth winger Dango Ouattara this summer and negotiations are ongoing between the two clubs to reach a deal.
According to Africa Foot, the Cherries would command a fee of £33.4m to part ways with their player, but will face competition from Aston Villa, AC Milan and Napoli in their pursuit for his signature.
Should Newcastle sign Dango Ouattara?
There is no doubt that Newcastle will be in the market for forwards in the summer transfer window and Ouattara has the Premier League experience to become a useful asset in the attacking threat at St James’ Park.
After the sale of Miguel Almiron in January, Howe is left with only one out-and-out right winger in Jacob Murphy, while Callum Wilson is still yet to confirm his future at the club as his contract is set to expire in July.
Over 25 Premier League appearances, Ouattara – once hailed a “positive force” by former Bournemouth defender Joe Partington – has scored seven goals, registered four assists and created nine big chances, as well as averaging 1.8 shots on goal, 3.7 duels won and one key pass per game, despite only averaging 59 minutes per appearance.
Not only that, the 23-year-old Burkina Faso international is diverse in positioning capable and experienced in playing on both wings, which is massively advantageous to Newcastle when considering rotation to compete comfortably across all competitions next season.
The reported price tag is a reasonable amount for Newcastle to meet without sacrificing funds to healthily recruit in other positions too, so it would be a deal worth considering for the North East giants.
With that being said, Ouattara would be a great signing for Newcastle if they could beat their competitors to signing him this summer as he could have a great impact on the attacking threat.