Newcastle United are in desperate need of reinforcements, with another midfielder added to the list when Sean Longstaff’s departure was confirmed last week.
A new name has been linked, and it’s another that falls into that potential gem bracket, this time from the Belgian league.
Africa Foot reports that FC Antwerp star Mahamadou Doumbia a ‘priority target’ for Newcastle this summer, with the club thought to be ‘very interested’ in landing the 21-year-old.
The story even states that Newcastle have contacted the player’s representatives with a view to a potential transfer to St James’ Park.
Doumbia has a £17m release clause in his Antwerp contract and has number of admirers across Europe, with Brighton, Everton, Sevilla, Marseille and Strasbourg all thought to be interested.
The midfielder has drawn comparisons to Yaya Toure for his ball-carrying ability, power and ability to shoot from range, with former Antwerp and Mali star Sambou Yatabaré previously saying Doumbia is “well suited to the Premier League”
Time will tell if he’s a genuine target in our bid to replace Longstaff, but he’d be a relatively low cost option to come into the squad.
💎 Just 21 years old
💪🏽 Physically impressive
🔋 Press-resistant midfielder
✨ Can play DM and LCM
💸 Valued at just €20m (£17.3m)#NUFC linked youngster Mahamadou Doumbia looks like a real talent… pic.twitter.com/shiHWOxv9n https://t.co/cn7QSOZSEN— Magpie Media (@MagpieMediaX) July 21, 2025
Newcastle need to be more than interested in this or that player, they need some concrete action, they have wasted that much time on players who don’t want to come here and it makes you wonder what checks are made before investing time in scouting them.
Joseph(Quote)
Well Joseph, we have placed ourselves squarely in the mire by our own actions. How incompetent is it to enter the transfer window without a top man in place to direct all this business? Every other club has someone in place to do this, we don’t, so it cant be too much of a surprise if we keep getting beaten to the punch.
Sadly, our bright shiny start in attracting all the right people in the hierarchy two and three years ago, has crumbled into ruins.
davewallace(Quote)
What a load of nonsense .. cheer up Dave it’s not as bad as you make out ..the financials, scouting and contracting are all in place and Eddie actually has had free reign since Mitchell resigned and the CEO is not retired whilst the short list shortens for replacement .. it’s more that we targeted the wrong players who went to clubs they wanted ..nothing to do with being slow or money … Delap, etike, mbuemo, Pedro and now trafford with his Man City buy back clause ..Eddie put all our eggs in a prem league basket .. we have elenga and wissa and others are being approached .. patience we will be in a better place soon
Mike(Quote)
We haven’t got Wissa yet. That one is sure to end up a non-starter like the others the way this window is going. It would appear that no one has the courage to make a decision about anything at this club at the moment. This is evident in the time it is taking to decide on a new stadium or SJP revamp or where the new training ground will be (if there’s going to be one).
Where is the big sponsorship for the training ground, the major stadium rights sponsor, the training kit etc? Is everybody asleep at the wheel at the club?
Toonarden(Quote)
Mike, I admire your optimism, but you might like to reconsider your assumption: by your own admission “we targeted the wrong players” – that means incompetence, full and square, just as I wrote, wouldn’t you say?
davewallace(Quote)