An update has emerged regarding Newcastle's interest in Marseille defender Boubacar Kamara.

What's the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle have submitted a bid for the 21-year-old as Steve Bruce goes in search of reinforcements for his squad.

The report does not state how much they have offered for the Ligue 1 defender, but does add that Hamza Choudhury and Joe Willock are also players that the Tyneside club are actively pursuing.

Bruce needs him

Mike Ashley must ensure this deal gets done by splashing the cash in Marseille's direction. There is no suggestion that the current bid is enough to get it over the line, which could indicate that Newcastle need to improve their offer before it progresses further.

Therefore, Ashley could need to dip into his pocket to ensure that Kamara is a part of Steve Bruce's squad this season. The ex-Villa boss needs the defender for multiple reasons, starting with the fact that the 21-year-old is able to cover a variety of positions on the pitch.

He has played at centre-back, left-back, right-back, central midfield and holding midfield throughout his senior career to date. This includes 64 games at centre-back and another 64 games holding midfield, with a smattering of appearances in the other three positions. This shows that he can fill in wherever he is needed across the defence and midfield, making him a valuable asset to have when dealing with suspensions and injuries.

Kamara also has the quality to perform to a high standard in these roles. His former Marseille teammate Rolando lauded him as a phenomenon and claimed that he is going to become a great player, saying: “This kid is a phenomenon. When he started training with us, he was 15 years old. And from day one, I said, no, but this little one is going to be a great player.

"He’s the kind of central defender I like. He is full of qualities and, above all, he works, he listens. It is out of the ordinary”

The £49k-per-week Frenchman averaged a superb WhoScored rating of 6.94 in Ligue 1 last season, having managed a score of 6.99 the previous term - all whilst playing in a multitude of roles. This shows that he can be consistent with his displays on the pitch regardless of the job he is asked to do, which suggests that he could be a reliable option for Bruce at Newcastle.

Therefore, Ashley should be doing all he can to get Kamara to St James' Park before the end of the transfer window. His versatility and quality in Ligue 1 suggest that he could have a good chance of becoming a success in the Premier League and, in turn, being a shrewd signing for the Magpies.

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