By Wayne Veysey

6th Jul, 2022 | 10:23am

Sources: Newcastle United and Leicester City race to sign Boubacar Traore after Wolves bid rejected

Newcastle United, Leicester City, Southampton and Nottingham Forest are plotting moves for Metz midfielder Boubacar Traore, Football Insider understands.

Metz are resigned to losing the 20-year-old dynamo this summer following their relegation from Ligue 1 last season.

A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Traore is available for a fee in the region of £18m.

Monaco, Lyon and Nice are all keen to offer Traore the chance to stay in France, but Premier League quartet Newcastle, Leicester, Southampton and Nottingham Forest are ready to try and lure him to England.

Wolves have also held a long-term interest in Traore and submitted a bid for the Mali under-23 international in the January transfer window.

However, they were unsuccessful in their pursuit.

Traore played alongside Tottenham 2021 signing Pape Matar Sarr at Metz and is regarded as just as good a prospect.

He made 28 appearances across all competitions in the 2021-22 campaign, with the majority of them league starts.

The midfielder joined Metz from AS Bamako for a six-figure fee in August 2019.

He is yet to be capped by Mali but has played for his country at youth level.

Newcastle are keen to add quality youth to their side in this window.

The Magpies were scouring the Ligue 1 market for talent last season and were close to signing Reims striker Hugo Ekitike.

However, Eddie Howe’s side pulled out of a deal to sign the 20-year-old last month.

In other news, a pundit has backed Newcastle United to sign Douglas Luiz “if the money is right” after journalist’s update.