(Credit: Imago)

Evan Shaw

Fri 13 March 2026 14:30, UK

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Newcastle United are strongly pursuing a deal to sign Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara as part of a major change of focus in the transfer market.

The Magpies have scouted the 22-year-old “extensively” in recent months, with a view to making a move for him this summer, as he continues to build an impressive reputation for himself in Ligue 1.

Camara has already earned 37 senior caps for Senegal at international level, and could finally be about to get his big move this summer, with St James’ Park chiefs already eyeing him up as a key target.

Newcastle’s transfer plans are already in place for the upcoming summer window, but their goals look slightly different from previous years.

Lamine Camara to be first signing of new regime at Newcastle

Camara is now firmly on the radar on Tyneside as one of the club’s key targets ahead of next season, and he is unlikely to be the only player who they pursue with vigour ahead of next term.

Eddie Howe and Co. are determined to be proactive and be on the “front foot” in the market this time around, according to The iPaper, and that is set to see them incorporate a new transfer strategy.

There is an admission from inside Newcastle that they “panicked” during last summer’s window, as they spent heavily on several players who have not lived up to expectations.

The hierarchy are intent on not allowing that scenario to play out again, and as a result, they have already begun a “pivot” towards targeting players on the European market, who have significant potential to improve.

Sporting director Ross Wilson has made it a key priority to get Newcastle’s recruitment processes in “better shape,” and they are now set to target a market that they have paid little attention to in recent years.

Magpies already trying to replace signing from last summer

Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown recently told Football Insider that Newcastle want to replace Yoane Wissa this summer, just 12 months after they signed him from Brentford.

The Frenchman has netted just one Premier League goal since he made the move north for a fee of £55million, and that is a far cry from the output that the Magpies would have been expecting when they shelled out such a lucrative sum.

A new striker is now one of their top priorities for the summer window, with the writing seemingly on the wall for Wissa already.

This is the exact situation that they are intending to guard against with their new strategy, to ensure that they avoid consistently spending big money on established players who do not perform.

Camara could yet become the first signing of that new regime, and Newcastle will be desperately hoping that it is successful enough to fire them back into European contention next term.