Newcastle are in talks to sign the £42m star

The need for success at Newcastle United has never been higher, but manager Eddie Howe has fallen well short of his targets at St James' Park this season.

He led the Magpies to Carabao Cup glory against Liverpool back in the 2024/25 campaign, ending his wait for a trophy on Tyneside.

The 48-year-old has even led the club to the group stage of the Champions League, which has become a must for fans.

However, Howe has failed to find any form of European football during the current campaign, with his side sitting in 13th place with just two Premier League games remaining.

As a result, the summer window will be a crucial time for the manager as he tries to lead the Magpies back towards England's top flight in 2026/27.

Newcastle are stepping up talks to sign the European star

In an effort to strengthen the senior ranks, Newcastle have been busy trying to identify new targets, which has led to Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović being said to be a possible addition.

In recent days it has been reported that the Serbian-born player will leave the Italian outfit for free when his current contract expires at the end of June.

The Magpies have already taken advantage of his contract shortfall, after which they entered into talks with the player's representatives about a move to Tyneside.

Vlahovic is not the only player currently on the shortlist, as AS Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara has emerged as a possible addition.

According to reports in France, the Magpies are accelerating talks with the Senegal international over a summer move to join Howe's club.

He also said that the player had held face-to-face talks with Newcastle in the past few days trying to work out a possible deal before the window opens.

A fee in the region of €50m (£42m) has been raised to complete the deal for the 22-year-old who has made 23 Ligue 1 appearances during the ongoing campaign.

Why Camara will be Newcastle's next Bruno Guimaraes

While the 2025/26 campaign has been one to forget for Newcastle fans, it's a scary thought to think where they would have ended up if it wasn't for midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

The Brazilian has been a constant presence in the Magpies' midfield this season – as evidenced by his nine goals, the most of any player in the club.

He regularly featured in key moments for Howe's side, with one of his most memorable performances coming against Leeds United – registering a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win on Tyneside.

The £40m fee paid to sign him back in January 2022 now looks like business genius – especially given the rumors that he could leave for £100m this summer.

No fan would want to lose Guimaraes in the next window, but the board has a good chance of emulating such a move with the signing of Camara.

As a Brazilian, he will be joining the Magpies from the French club as an unknown quantity to many fans, while he has the chance to create new history on the pitch.

At just 22 years old, there's no denying that such a move would be made with one eye on the future, but there's no reason the kid can't nail down a starting role next term.

His stats from the ongoing campaign show his ability in a variety of areas – many of which could be useful to Howe in his efforts to find a new long-term depth option.

In Ligue 1 this season, Camara has registered 1.6 chances created out of 90, and 0.4 of his attempts have been classified as big chances – more than 90% of players in the French top flight.

The Senegalese star, called “excellent” by Como analyst and scout Ben Mattinson, has completed 54% of his dribbles – confirming his quality with the ball at his feet.

Off the ball, the youngster has been equally impressive, as evidenced by his impressive figures of 7.8 rebounds and 2.7 tackles per 90 in Ligue 1.

Like his previous numbers, they both saw him at the highest level among other players in the division, with only 3% of midfielders making defensive contributions.

£42m for a player of Camara's caliber would be a stunning deal for all parties, with the player already showing plenty of interest in the prospect of a switch.

He will certainly need time to adapt to the demands of the Premier League, but there is no reason why he cannot fill such a void for the foreseeable future.

If the 22-year-old can get close to Guimaraes' standards after his move from France, fans could have yet another favorite to look up to for years to come.