The Monaco midfielder continues to be linked with a move to Newcastle United
AS Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara.
AS Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara(Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
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While the transfer talk surrounding Newcastle United continues to be dominated by talk of Anthony Gordon leaving the club, work is ongoing to bring in new recruits, too.
The Magpies are expected to go through a bit of a reset this summer in the transfer market and Gordon continues to be linked with a move to Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Add to that the fact that Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth, Aaron Ramsdale and John Ruddy are also definitely leaving the club then the squad may feel a little different next season.
Things feel flat after a 12th placed finish and Newcastle could do with a shot in the arm to excite supporters ahead of targeting a return to European contention next season.
One signing who would do that is Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara. We know the Senegalese international midfielder is a player Newcastle are monitoring and, still just 22 years of age, he has his best years ahead of him.
But how likely would a transfer to Newcastle be? How much would he cost? And what would he bring to St James' Park if he was to make the move from the principality? Chronicle Live spoke to Get French Football News editor-in-chief Luke Entwistle to find out.
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What is Monaco’s stance on selling Camara in the summer transfer window? How much will it cost Newcastle?
"They are very open to a sale, especially since they have missed out on Champions League football. They were reliant on Lens beating Nice in the Coupe de France final to get any sort of European football, which for them is the Europa Conference League.
"That does mean their most bankable assets will likely have to leave. [Maghnes] Akliouche is one of them, [Folarin] Balogun is another and Camara is the third of those.
"He is someone who they are looking at as a Premier League ready profile and someone who therefore they can sell to the Premier League which is essentially what all French clubs are now trying to do.
"They are trying to fill their squads full of players who would be of potential interest to clubs in the Premier League and Camara is one of those. I definitely expect Monaco to try and cash in on that.
"He would be one of the players Monaco will be looking to move on after what has been a pretty strong season for him, albeit one that has been affected by injury but he is not the only player who falls into that category from Monaco this year.
"It seems like the minimum fee would be about €50m which to me, personally, feels about right but if anything on the slightly lower side but that is probably a minimum."
Lamine Camara and Maghnes Akliouche
Lamine Camara has been linked with Newcastle
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What sort of midfielder is he? What could Newcastle fans expect from him?
"He is quite box to box. He feels very Premier League compatible, robust, workmanlike and covers a lot of space. He is really good technically. He has not been quite to the same level this year but his set piece delivery is usually excellent and is definitely one of his abilities that would make him quite formidable in the Premier League.
"He is someone who doesn't ever shy away from responsibility, he is always looking to get on the ball in the midfield, always looking to cover the space and get stuck in.
"He is not flawless be that with the ball with his passing, in particular. I can think of a couple of high profile mistakes. I was at their match vs Lille a couple of weeks back where he essentially laid on the assist for Lille's goal which mathematically ensured Monaco wouldn't qualify for the Champions League.
"But he is not someone who cowers into his shell when he makes those mistakes. He still likes to get on the ball and dictate the play.
"He is someone who is quite ambitious with his passing. He is looking to come deep often to get the ball. He is also someone who is quite effective, but could be more effective, in the final third.
"He scored a spectacular goal against Monaco a couple of years back before making the move to the principality club. He has scored a couple of excellent long range goals since. He is quite rounded and quite versatile as well so he is an interesting profile."
BOLOGNA, ITALY - NOVEMBER 05: Lamine Camara of Monaco in action during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Bologna FC 1909 and AS Monaco at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on November 05, 2024 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)
Lamine Camara of Monaco(Image: Getty)
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Would you back him to be a success at Newcastle and in the Premier League if he makes the move?
"Everything I have said lends towards him being a success in the Premier League. Obviously there is the caveat that you never know but generally Ligue 1 players moving to the Premier League tend to do well due to the stylistic similarities.
"Despite the fact that Ligue 1 is pretty derided it is probably in terms of data sets the league that matches most with the Premier League in terms of Europe's top five divisions.
"It does mean that lots of the players that do go from Ligue 1 go on to do successfully elsewhere and if you look at players who have recently made that jump it is often the case.
"I would expect him to do well in the Premier League. It depends exactly who he would replace at Newcastle but he has plenty of experience now. He plays for the Senegal national team, has had two full seasons competing at the top of Ligue 1 and has lots of Champions League experience too so now feels like the time for him to make that step even if he still is pretty young."