Newcastle United’s move for Ousmane Diabaté has taken a significant step forward, just hours after talks for the youngster were revealed.
The 18-year-old has now travelled to England to undergo a medical with the Magpies.
That comes from Turkish journalist Reşat Can Özbudak, who brought the initial Newcastle claims on Tuesday along with Fotospor.
His latest update directly quotes that report, which stated Newcastle had opened talks for the Gençlerbirliği midfielder.
Diabaté travels for Newcastle medical
Özbudak now says Diabaté has travelled to England for his medical. He promises more details on the situation, but the development alone suggests Newcastle have moved quickly.
When the story first surfaced, there was no indication of how advanced those talks were.
A trip to his medical less than a day later paints a much certain picture. Of course it also brushes aside the reported interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford.
Fotospor had named both London clubs as serious contenders for the Guinea international. Fenerbahçe have also been credited with interest. Tottenham’s pursuit dates back several months. Diabaté’s entourage confirmed in May that discussions had taken place with Spurs.
In the end, Newcastle appear to have jumped ahead of that competition.
A rapid move for the youngster
Diabaté only joined Gençlerbirliği from Guinean side Académie SOAR earlier this year.
He has since made seven appearances for the Turkish club’s first team and another ten for their U19s. His progress also earned him a senior Guinea debut in June.
Gençlerbirliği picked him up for free, although Académie SOAR retained a 40% sell-on clause. That arrangement means the Turkish club have reason to push for a sizeable fee.
There has still been no figure attached to Newcastle’s move. Diabaté has three years remaining on his contract, so Gençlerbirliği are also under no immediate pressure to sell.
The situation has developed very quickly, though. So barring a problem with the examination or the final details of the deal, seems like Newcastle United will soon have a new player.
