Growing belief Monaco star is ‘destined’ to join Newcastle with officials dispatched

Newcastle United are already planning for the summer transfer window after a disappointing Premier League campaign.

It was meant to be a season of consolidation and progress.

Instead, Newcastle find themselves in 13th place with two games to play, having won just 13 of their 36 Premier League matches.

After the Carabao Cup triumph last year, coupled with qualification for the Champions League last term, this campaign has felt like a massive step backwards.

Summer will be a chance to set it right.

The challenge facing Eddie Howe this summer is not a straightforward one. On the surface, the club’s financial picture looks healthier than it has for some time. Newcastle reported a profit after tax of £34.7m for 2025, a dramatic reversal from the losses of previous years, with total revenue reaching £335m.

But supporters should not read too much into those headline numbers.

The club’s own chief financial officer has made clear that the profit — driven significantly by a £133m sale-and-leaseback arrangement involving St James’ Park — does not automatically translate into more money for transfers.

Wages remain a bottleneck, with Newcastle maintaining a salary structure still considerably below the average of the traditional top six.

The financial landscape is also shifting.

PSR, the Premier League’s current financial rules, will be replaced from the start of next season by a new Squad Cost Ratio system, which will limit clubs to spending 85% of their football revenue on transfer fees, wages and agent costs.

Newcastle will need to navigate that transition carefully, and doing so while strengthening the squad will require some careful balancing acts in the market.

Then there is the small matter of who might be leaving.

Anthony Gordon has been one of the few consistent bright spots this season, but the 25-year-old appears to be pushing for an exit and Bayern Munich have been in talks, according to reports.

Losing him would be a significant blow — not just in footballing terms, but commercially and in terms of the dressing room dynamic Howe has worked hard to build.

Sandro Tonali is another star who could leave Newcastle amid serious reported interest from the likes of Arsenal, but as murmurs grow around the Italian, Howe’s side may have found their ideal replacement.

Lamine Camara ‘destined’ to join Newcastle from Monaco

According to TEAMtalk’s Graeme Baileythere is a ‘growing belief’ within football circles that 22-year-old Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara is ‘destined’ to make the move to St James’ Park this summer.

Newcastle officials have made repeated visits to France throughout 2026 to run the rule over the Senegal international, and the Magpies are now apparently among the clubs showing the most serious intent.

Those same scouts were present at the Stade Louis II last weekend to watch Camara in action during Monaco’s 1-0 loss to Lille.

The profile fits what Howe needs.

Camara is athletic, tactically intelligent, and capable of playing as either a six or an eight.

He already has 30 senior caps for Senegal despite his young age, and his displays in Ligue 1 this season have attracted attention from across Europe.

Monaco have him under contract until 2029 and value him at around £39m — not a figure that moves easily, but not prohibitive for a club with Newcastle’s resources either.

The competition, however, is fierce.

Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal have all tracked Camara for an extended period, while Chelsea, Tottenham, Brighton, Brentford and West Ham have all sent scouts to watch him this season too, so the queue is long.

But TEAMtalk claims Newcastle currently lead the race, pointing to the regularity and conviction with which the club has pursued him as evidence that this is more than casual interest.

Whether they can get the deal done — while managing potential exits, adapting to new financial rules, and keeping the wage structure in check — will say a great deal about how far this club has really come.