If Huddersfield and Newcastle really are interested in Jonathan Bamba, and reports in France over the past few months suggest that’s still the case, then they’re going to have to make a really attractive offer to get him.
Of course, compared to a lot of clubs circling the 21-year-old, the Magpies and the Terriers certainly have the financial advantage, what with being Premier League clubs and all, but that’s not all that matters to some players.
That being said, considering Bamba is currently requesting €150k/month from Saint-Etienne, a club known for having a wage cap system, maybe that is all he’s interested in.
Yet, if But! Football Club in France are to be believed, and they tend to be quite good when it comes to the Ligue 1 club, then Marseille and Angers have also joined Newcastle and Huddersfield in the race to sign the young forward.
While Angers are doing so hoping to bring back a player they had on loan last season, Marseille appear to be readying themselves for the post Clinton N’Jié era, with the former Tottenham flop touted as one of the potential exits in January.
The problem for Rafa Benitez and David Wagner here is that Rudi Garcia’s side are able to offer Bamba Europa League football for the second half of the season, as well as, barring a severe drop of form, some sort of European competition during the next campaign.
While Huddersfield are in a comfortable(ish) position in the league, Newcastle are not, which could cause them issues going into the winter transfer window.
As for Bamba, well, as you probably know by now if you’ve been following this saga on our site, his contract runs in June 2018, but there’s every chance he could leave next month if an offer meeting Saint-Etienne’s standards is made.
What that number is, no one knows, but with just six months left on his deal, there’s only so much they can hold out for.
