Newcastle brings in Bamba from Monaco, Romero leaves Tottenham
Newcastle United has signed 20-year-old midfielder Aladji Bamba for £30 million, while Fabrizio Romano confirms that Cristian Romero will definitely leave Tottenham this summer.
Newcastle United has signed 20-year-old midfielder Aladji Bamba for £30 million, while Fabrizio Romano confirms that Cristian Romero will definitely leave Tottenham this summer.
Newcastle United has completed the transfer of Aladji Bamba from AS Monaco, signing the 20-year-old French midfielder on a five-year deal with an initial fee of £30 million, plus up to £5.5 million in potential add-ons, Sky Sports confirmed on July 24, 2026. Bamba joins the club as one of European football's most promising young midfielders, having been nominated for the European Golden Boy award for 2026.
The young midfielder will wear the number 8 shirt, previously worn by Sandro Tonali before his £100 million transfer to Tottenham Hotspur. Last season, Bamba made 18 appearances for Monaco in Ligue 1, recording two assists, along with five outings in the Champions League, including both knockout stage ties against Paris Saint-Germain. According to Channel News Asia, he has made a total of 25 appearances for the Monégasque club.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe expressed his delight with the signing:
"I am really pleased that Aladji has become a Newcastle player. He is another exciting, young signing whom we are very much looking forward to working with. Aladji adds depth and a range of qualities to our midfield options, with huge potential for growth. His development since breaking through at Monaco has been truly impressive and it's something we believe we can help him build on further."The player himself, who represents the France U20 national team, said he can't wait for the new challenge: "I am excited to test myself in a new league, the biggest league in the world. I learned a lot last season and now I feel ready for this new opportunity. I will give my all for this club."
Renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano announced on July 22, 2026, that Cristian 'Cuti' Romero will definitely leave Tottenham Hotspur in this summer transfer window. Romano states that Inter Milan is actively working on a possible deal and that direct negotiations with the player's camp will follow soon. According to the same source, Barcelona only considers Romero as an option in case one of their center-backs leaves, while Inter is currently the most concrete interested club.
Along with the already officially confirmed transfers, Romano reported on July 24, 2026, about interest in Bosnian-Herzegovinian midfielder Kerim Alajbegović, who will soon leave Bayer Leverkusen. According to Romano's information, Atalanta's offer for the player has already been rejected, while Napoli and Juventus are also interested. Chelsea is considering the possibility of a bid but had not submitted an official offer as of the time of publication. Alajbegović is a Bosnian international who is part of Leverkusen's squad, and the interest from several major European clubs testifies to his market value.
These transfers and speculations are part of an exceptionally active summer transfer window in European football. Newcastle continues to build the squad under Eddie Howe's leadership, and the signing of young Bamba reflects the club's strategy focused on promising players with potential for further development. On the other hand, the potential departures of Romero from Tottenham and Alajbegović from Leverkusen raise the question of how these clubs will fill the gaps in defense and midfield, respectively, ahead of the new season.
