Newcastle United have seen huge improvements and progress since their Saudi-led takeover less than two years ago and the credit for their rise can be both attributed to the arrival of Eddie Howe, as well as their incredible recruitment.
The Magpies will make their long-awaited return to Champions League football next season after securing the final spot inside the Premier League top four last season and showing significant development in their competitiveness in cup competitions; reaching the League Cup final at Wembley earlier this year too.
Howe and his strong recruitment team have secured the signings of several talents over the last 18 months with Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Alexander Isak all becoming crucial to the huge strides forward that the North East outfit have taken.
Now the Newcastle boss will face a massive challenge ahead of him when competing on the European stage against the most elite clubs in the world, so making sure the right players with the right experience are acquired, and adding quality depth in key positions will be absolutely essential if they are to compete comfortably in every fixture.
Indeed, AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali is close to being confirmed as the first signing of the summer at St James' Park, however, there is no doubt that Howe will be keen to add even more talent to his squad to continue to build for the future.
One player who has been linked with a move to Tyneside this week is LOSC Lille wonderkid Carlos Baleba, with reports in France suggesting that Newcastle are set to compete with Manchester United and West Ham United to secure the €30m (£26m) midfielder.
Who is Carlos Baleba?
The 19-year-old talent has been polishing his skills and developing his central midfield role in Ligue 1 with Lille and found himself earning a much more frequent role in the first team last season, which has attracted interest from Premier League clubs.
Over 19 league appearances, Baleba has tallied up an 84% pass completion rate, successfully completed 63% of his dribbles and won 50% of his duels combined, despite only making five starts and averaging just 26 minutes per game.
Not only that, the Cameroon-born youngster ranks in the top 10% across the top five European leagues for positionally similar players when it comes to blocks, successful take-ons, progressive carries and shots on goal, proving that he has a diverse skill set that could benefit from the nurture and development Howe can provide at Newcastle to nail down his best attributes.
Such a move from Ligue 1 could well see Newcastle now repeat their Guimaraes masterclass by securing a deal for the youngster as the club has had massive success when recruiting from the French top-flight with the Brazilian midfielder arriving from Olympique Lyonnais, Sven Botman being secured from Lille and Allan Saint-Maximin signing from Nice.
Now a cult hero at St James', the Brazil international has more than earnt his praise after a stunning campaign throughout 2022/23 that saw him post ten goal involvements.
Although Baleba is only just starting out in his career and is still yet to reach his full potential, the teenage sensation is already earning high praise from the glimpses of talent he has shown so far, with his Lille teammate Jonathan David claiming:
"Carlos is young, but he brings something different, which is very good for us. He is powerful, strong, he drives the ball very well."
Strong and powerful would aptly describe Guimaraes too, but although Baleba perhaps won't arrive with the same level of hype, the Magpies know how to spot a promising prospect from Ligue 1 when they see one.