Ashworth preparing NUFC swoop to sign "brilliant" £13m "talent", he could be ASM 2.0 - opinion

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Sekou Mara in the summer transfer window… 

According to the print edition of L’Equipe, via The Mirror, the Magpies are preparing to make contact with Bordeaux as Dan Ashworth looks to snap the young winger up ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the French outfit are set to demand a fee in the region of €15m (£13m) for the talent, although it remains to be seen how much the Toon are willing to pay.

Newcastle have added Sven Botman, Nick Pope, and Matt Targett to their squad this summer and are now attempting to improve their options further up the pitch.

The Magpies could find their next French wizard out wide by securing a deal to bring Mara to the Premier League in the coming weeks.

He is a promising, young, winger who has shown great signs of promise at the top level. The 19-year-old scored six goals in 26 Ligue 1 outings last term, despite only starting eight times.

This came after he managed one goal and two assists in two starts in the French top-flight in 2020/21, which shows that he has the quality to make an impact in a major European league.

Journalist Zach Lowy heaped praise on the gem earlier this summer, Tweeting: “I put Sekou Mara in my team for a reason — he’s a brilliant young talent who almost certainly won’t be playing in Ligue 2 or the Championnat National. Would think that quite a few Premier League clubs should be taking a look at him.”

The teenager also caught the eye in the recent U23 Toulon tournament for France. He scored five goals and registered one assist in five outings for his country.

Saint-Maximin, who the club signed from Ligue 1 outfit Nice, has proven himself to be a useful player in the Premier League for