Newcastle sign ‘perfect Premier League’ midfielder as Bruno Guimaraes exit rumours grow

Updated: 24 Jul 2026 11:40 BST | 5 min read

Bruno Guimaraes, Aladji Bamba, Newcastle — © IMAGO

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

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Newcastle have completed their fourth signing of the summer to add Monaco midfielder Aladji Bamba to Eddie Howe’s squad.

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The 20-year-old arrives on Tyneside for a total package worth €40 million and is the second young Frenchman that the Magpies have bought this summer, following in the footsteps of goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen from Reims.

Bamba arrives at St James’ Park as rumours build that Bruno Guimaraes is closing in on a move to Arsenal, so should the Toon Army expect their new signing to be a replacement for the Brazil ace?

Why Aladji Bamba has been compared to Bruno Guimaraes

Bamba is a close fit to Bruno Guimaraes both in terms of physical make-up and playing style, according to data analytics firm SciSports.

Both players are primarily characterised as being box-to-box midfielders with strong elements of a deep-lying playmaker.

The biggest difference between Bamba and Bruno is that the Frenchman is more of a holding player than the Brazilian.

© SciSports - Aladji Bamba, Bruno Guimaraes, Playing Style Comparison

“My best position is No.6, where I've played the most this season,” he told Nice Matin. “Even though I like playing as a box-to-box midfielder because I can both attack and defend. As a No.10, I struggle more with my back to goal.”

The France U20 star has been described as the ‘perfect’ build for the Premier League, standing at 1.94m with a strong frame.

The €40m signing's biggest strengths – and biggest weakness

Although he only has 25 first-team appearances under his belt, Bamba has already successfully caught the eye in Ligue 1. Indeed, the SciSports algorithm rates his midfield league performances last term as being higher than Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is poised to make a move in the region of €100m this summer.

Bamba’s strengths were primarily technical, with his passing and dribbling pinpointed as particular strengths by SciSports. These are similar strengths to the ones shown by Bruno at Newcastle in the Premier League last term.

At youth level, meanwhile, he has shown goal-scoring ability that he has not had the chance to replicate in the senior squad due to being deployed in a more defensive role.

Defensively, there is work to be done, in particular with regards his ball-winning and ability to contain counterattacks.

© Newcastle United Football Club - Aladji Bamba, Newcastle

“The coach talks to me about intensity, winning duels, and winning back possession. He wants me to do even more of that,” Bamba admitted.

“He expects me to play forward. I have the ability to carry the ball and break lines with my passes.

“We also focus on my first touches, my awareness, which isn't always timed perfectly.

“Where I think I've improved the most this season is in my positioning and awareness. I've improved my fundamentals with and without the ball”

At 20 years old, though, Newcastle will appreciate that they are not signing a finished product.

Indeed, the rate of Bamba’s improvement has been something to behold. Across all Ligue 1 players over the course of the last six months, only Lens centre-back Ismaelo Ganiou and PSG midfielder Dro Fernandez have enjoyed a sharper rise in their SciSkill, which is a figure calculated using hundreds of in-game data points.

What Newcastle fans should expect from Aladji Bamba

Newcastle are likely to have been impressed with the mental strength and resilience of their new signing, whose progress last season wasn’t entirely linear. He was taken off at half-time in a Champions League match against Club Brugge and then suffered a hamstring injury in his following game.

“Even if I'm upset or unhappy, on the field, I'm a guy who gives his all. I think that's what the coach saw. When he watched the games, I wasn't sulking. I was trying to play my game and contribute to the team. That's what he liked,” he said.

Bamba also admits that physically he can struggle over the course of 90 minutes, suggesting that his initial role at St James’ Park will be one on the periphery of the first-team squad.

So Newcastle should expect someone who will immediately explode into the first team to replace Bruno Guimaraes, but rather a midfielder capable of becoming decisive down the road.