Newcastle United 'have intensified' interest in Sunderland-linked Lamine Camara | OneFootball

Newcastle United have stepped up their pursuit of Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, who was linked with Sunderland ahead of January. TeamTalk reports that the Magpies have ‘intensified’ their interest ahead of the summer window.

The 22-year-old has impressed with Metz and Monaco, and Sunderland are understood to have sounded out a surprise deal earlier this season as they explored pairing him with Senegal team-mate Habib Diarra at the Stadium of Light.

“For now, I am really happy at Monaco. I feel really at ease here: the players are kind and ambitious, and I have a manager who trusts me. I follow the Premier League a lot – everyone does. I’m not thinking about changing clubs but we will see what happens at the end of the season.” He was speaking to The Guardian in December.

Talk around Sunderland has cooled since January, although the midfielder has still been mentioned as a possible target for Liverpool and Chelsea.

The report says a deal in the region of £55m to £64m is viewed as ‘more likely’ for Newcastle, with Paris Saint-Germain and clubs in Spain also keen. Newcastle are described as ‘a more viable stepping stone’ if Sandro Tonali departs in the summer, with the Italy international linked with Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Source: Sunderland Echo