Newcastle United have signed defensive midfielder, Aladji Bamba from AS Monaco in a £35.5m transfer.
Bamba’s move to St James’ Park comes after just one season of senior football at Monaco, having produced two assists in 25 appearances last season.
Newcastle have paid a fixed £30m fee with a further £5.5m in add-ons which could take the total fee as high as £35.5m if all clauses are met, with the 20-year-old defensive midfielder having signed a five-year contract.
Bamba is thought to be Sandro Tonali’s replacement following the Italian’s transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, whilst the future of fellow defensive midfielder – Bruno Guimaraes remains in the air amidst strong interest from Arsenal.
The 20-year-old midfielder in his first interview is relishing the new opportunities on Tyneside in the Premier League.
“I’m very happy to be here – it’s a new challenge and I can’t wait to get started. I was very excited when I heard Newcastle were interested in signing me.
“I know about the history of the club and I’ve visited the stadium already, which is amazing. I can’t wait to be on the pitch there and hope to have some great times with the fans.
“I’m excited to test myself in a new league, the biggest league in the world. I learned a lot last season and now I feel ready for this new opportunity. I will give my all for this club.”
Head Coach, Eddie Howe added: “I’m really pleased to see Aladji become a Newcastle United player. He’s another exciting, young signing who we’re really looking forward to working with.
“Aladji adds depth and a range of qualities to our midfield options, with huge potential for growth. His development since breaking through at Monaco has been really impressive and something we believe we can help him build on.
“He operates in a deeper role but has the ability to contribute all over the pitch, which he demonstrated in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League last season.”
Bamba began his career with Blois Football 41 at youth level before he joined Monaco where he graduated through their youth academy.
He eventually made his senior debut in a 3-1 home victory over Le Havre in Ligue 1 in August 2025 and went on to start in 12 of his 25 match appearances last season, during which he provided his first professional assist via a through-ball pass to Folarin Balogun in a 4-1 away loss to Paris FC in April.
His second assist came in Monaco’s concluding match of the season in May as he provided the assist for their third goal scored by Ansu Fati in an eventual 5-4 loss at Strasbourg.
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