[Newcastle United](https://readnewcastle.com/2026/08/19/winger-spotted-st-james-park-newcastle-united-move/) have needed to sign a midfielder or two for weeks now. That is the area which has been most affected this summer due to the departures of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali.
Those were arguably the club’s two best players. The transfer fee they have brought in for their departures has reflected that idea as well. A combined £175 million, to be exact.
On the other hand, Newcastle United have signed the 18-year-old Sean Steur and the 20-year-old Aladji Bamba for their midfield department. Both are highly regarded talents. That being said, are they ready to be regular starters in the Premier League?
Newcastle United have been linked with players like Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joao Palhinha and Nico Gonzalez in recent days. But they have agreed to sign someone completely different and out of absolutely nowhere.
Newcastle United have agreed to sign another 18-year-old midfielder. And he is not even going to join the club on an immediate basis.
According to [Resat Can Ozbudak](https://x.com/resatcan_ozbdak/status/2090097658027258222), Ousmane Diabate has secured a 4+1-year agreement with Newcastle United. He will stay on loan at Genclerbirligi for another year. There is a mid-season recall clause. The player has travelled to England for his medical.
So, Diabate is someone who they seem to be viewing as a long-term answer in midfield. And it looks like they are willing to give him another year in Turkey to develop in the senior game.
Obviously, it is good to see the club making another signing. That being said, it is safe to say that Diabate is another player who is not going to have an immediate impact on the team. In fact, this time around, Newcastle United recognise that as well.
It is needless to say that Newcastle United need to bring in someone who is at an elite level as things stand. Someone who will give an immediate base to the team in the middle of the park.
The likes of Hojbjerg and Palhinha might be exiting their primes, but they are capable of doing that. The 24-year-old Gonzalez can as well, even though he has not played as much as hoped for Manchester City.
The signing of Diabate is not going to affect the club’s pursuit of those players. But it does point towards what Newcastle United are trying to achieve here.
In many ways, it feels very similar to what Chelsea tried in their first four years under BlueCo ownership. The problem is that it did not work out at all, and they have corrected course this summer. So, why are the Magpies so eager to follow a path that is a proven failure in the Premier League?