Newcastle are eyeing a summer swoop for Saint-Etienne ace Jonathan Bamba, according to a Foot Mercato report.
The French media outlet claim the Magpies are ready to make a move for the 21-year-old right-sided attacker, but Italian outfit Atalanta are set to rival them in the race to secure his services.
It is said Saint-Etienne will make a decision on Bamba’s future following the appointment of Oscar Garcia as manager.
The Frenchman spent the latter half of the 2016-17 campaign on loan at Angers, scoring three goals in 19 league and cup games, as well as providing two assists.
He broke into Saint-Etienne’s first team set up in the summer of 2015, and he has since been loaned out three times, and has made only 15 appearances in all competitions for his club.
Bamba is primarily a right-sided attacker but he is also comfortable playing on the left.
The 21-year-old has been capped by France Under-20s on seven occasions, and he has featured in the Under-21 squad, but he is yet to make an appearance for them.
Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez is looking to strengthen his squad this summer, ahead of his side’s return to the Premier League.
It was confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Mbabu had departed the club for BSC Young Boys, so Benitez may look to use some of the cash from that transfer to fund a move for Bamba.