What Newcastle fans can expect from Bazoumana Touré as €50m move from Hoffenheim nears completion | OneFootball

After months of speculation surrounding Bazoumana Touré's future, Newcastle United now appear to have won the race for the Hoffenheim winger, with a €50 million move to St. James’ Park nearing completion.

Following a brief six-month adaptation period, Touré made his Bundesliga breakthrough last season, recording an impressive 17 direct goal contributions in 30 league matches for Christian Ilzer’s side and attracting interest from several top European clubs in the process.

Florian Först, a scouting expert at German football site Kickfieber.de, has been tracking Touré since his early rise at Swedish club Hammarby and has a clear idea of what Newcastle fans can expect from the 20-year-old.

“Even during his time at Hammarby, Bazoumana Touré was regarded as one of Europe's most exciting talents. His move to Hoffenheim came as a surprise at the time, but in hindsight, the transfer proved to be exactly the right step for the young Ivorian,” Först told Bulinews.com.

As Först explains, Touré’s biggest strengths lie in his blistering pace and agility – a difficult combination for defenders to deal with.

“His greatest asset is his pace combined with his agility. This makes the winger difficult to contain when dribbling, aided further by his low center of gravity. Consequently, Touré ranked among the best players in his position last season for successful dribbles and progressive runs,” Först said.

However, Touré is not only a strong dribbler, but also a tireless worker.

“His high work rate on the pitch is also worth noting; with over 760 sprints, he was by far the most industrious player in the Bundesliga in this regard. Furthermore, Touré proved to be an outstanding provider, frequently demonstrating excellent vision.”

Still room for improvement

At just 20, it's only natural that Touré still has room for development, with Först pointing to his finishing and passing as key areas for improvement.

“There is still room for improvement in his finishing; Touré scored only five goals in total for Hoffenheim. He often lacked the necessary composure and clinical edge in front of goal. The 20-year-old could also improve his passing – specifically regarding pace and precision, as well as his progressive passing game,” Först said.

Despite his clear potential, Först believes Touré will need time to adapt to the Premier League and shouldn't be seen as a direct replacement for Anthony Gordon, who has moved to FC Barcelona.

“In signing Touré, Newcastle United have secured one of Europe's most exciting wingers. Given his high speed and immense work rate, the left-footer is well-suited to the Premier League, and his vision could make him a key provider for [Nick] Woltemade,” he said, before concluding: 

“That said, some patience will be required to allow him to settle into this even higher level of competition. Touré will not be a direct replacement for Anthony Gordon, however; the two players’ profiles and quality levels differ too significantly (for now).”

Touré’s move to Newcastle has yet to be officially confirmed, but that is expected to change shortly.