Newcastle United is making moves in the final week of the January transfer window. The club is reportedly looking to speed up its chase for a young African star who is currently making waves in the Championship. While the winter window has been somewhat quiet for the Magpies so far, this latest development suggests that Eddie Howe and his recruitment team are ready to act before the deadline.
Despite having a long list of injuries to deal with, Newcastle has not yet made a single signing this month. This comes after a very busy summer where the club spent big to change the look of their attack. During that period, they brought in players like Anthony Elanga, Yoane Wissa, and Nick Woltemade.
These moves were part of a larger plan to fill the gap left by Alexander Isak after his high-profile move to Liverpool. However, even with those new faces, the season has been a bit up and down. Newcastle currently finds itself in ninth place in the Premier League.
They are only five points away from the Champions League spots, but they need more consistency if they want to secure a place in Europe’s top competition for next year.
The player at the center of this new transfer talk is Mamadou Doumbia. He is a 19-year-old forward who plays for Watford and represents Mali on the international stage. According to reports from Africa Foot, Newcastle is ready to “accelerate” its efforts to sign the teenager.
Doumbia is not a new name on their list; the club has been scouting him for quite a while. He originally moved to Watford in 2024 from AS Black Stars and has quickly settled into English football. This season, he has been a bright spot for the Hornets in the Championship, scoring three goals in 18 appearances. His form was so impressive that he earned a call-up for Mali’s recent Africa Cup of Nations squad.
Newcastle is not the only team interested in the young striker. Premier League rivals like Brentford and Burnley have also been keeping a close eye on his progress. Brentford, now led by Keith Andrews, is always in the market for young talent with high potential.
Burnley, managed by Scott Parker, has also been linked with Doumbia in the past. However, the latest reports suggest that Newcastle is currently leading the race. The club has reportedly already presented their long-term project to the player, and he is said to be very interested in the move to St. James’ Park.
One of the main reasons Doumbia is such an attractive target is his versatility. This season at Watford, he has shown he can play in multiple positions across the front line. Whether he is playing as a central striker or out wide, his physical presence and technical skills make him difficult for defenders to handle.
He first caught the eye of global scouts during the 2023 FIFA U17 World Cup. During that tournament, he scored a hat-trick in Mali’s opening game and played a key role in helping his country reach the semi-finals. Ever since that performance, he has been viewed as a “wonderkid” with a very high ceiling.
While his current market value on sites like Transfermarkt is listed at around €800,000, it is highly unlikely that Watford would let him go for such a low price. He is under contract at Vicarage Road until 2029, which gives the Hornets a strong position in any negotiations. Newcastle will likely have to make a much more significant offer if they want to convince Watford to sell their prized asset mid-season.
For Newcastle, signing someone like Doumbia fits their recent strategy of recruiting young, high-potential players who can grow into the first team. With the final days of the window approaching, the pressure is on to see if they can finalize a deal.
Bringing in a fresh face like Doumbia could be exactly what Eddie Howe needs to give his squad a boost for the second half of the season. If they can pull this off, it would be a major win for the club’s scouting department and a clear sign that they are still looking toward the future, even while dealing with the immediate challenges of the Premier League.
