Newcastle United have reached an agreement with Monaco to sign midfielder Aladji Bamba in a deal worth up to £34 million. The 20-year-old French player is expected on Tyneside on Thursday to complete a medical and put pen to paper on a long-term contract.

Bamba only made his senior debut in August 2025, yet has already caught the eye as one of Ligue 1's most dynamic young midfielders. Among Ligue 1 midfielders who logged at least 500 minutes last season, he ranked in the top five for duels won (9.1 per game on average), tackles (3.6), successful take-ons (1.6), and aerial duels won (1.9).

The move comes after Newcastle sold Sandro Tonali to Tottenham last month, leaving the club with a clear need to reinforce the engine room. Bamba becomes their second young midfield recruit of the window, following the earlier arrival of 18-year-old Sean Steur from Ajax.

Newcastle had also been tracking Freiburg's Johan Manzambi, but that option closed last week when Manzambi chose to move to Aston Villa instead.