La La La Bamba Time Comes to The Toon

The latest news is that Newcastle have agreed a deal worth up to £34m for Monaco defensive midfielder Aladji Bamba.

The 20-year-old Frenchman, who played his first senior game in August 2025, is due on Tyneside today to have a medical and sign a long-term contract.

Among Ligue 1 midfielders who played at least 500 minutes last season, Bamba ranked in the top five for duels won (9.1 per game on average), tackles (3.6), successful take-ons (1.6) and aerial duels won (1.9).

Cliff Richards classic to echo round SJP?

The young ones

Darling they're the young ones

And the young ones shouldn't be afraid

To live love

While the flame is strong

‘cause we may not be the young ones very long

With young Bamba adding to the signings of 18 year old Steur and fellow 20 year olds Jouen and Toure...

Who would have thought before the window opened that the combined ages of the four young ones would only be 5 years more than moi when I hit my 73rd on September 1st.

It brings to mind another verse of Cliff's song...

once in every lifetime

Comes a love like this

Oh I need you and you need me

Oh my darling can't you see

The young ones, darling their the Toon ones...

(last line courtesy of me!)

All of sudden... it's seems exciting

After the sales of Gordon and Tonali and the ongoing saga with Bruno, up to now the new signings have taken second place to the exodus from the club.

And yet, somehow, in one fell swoop I have become excited at the youth explosion that is booming around SJP.

The fees we have paid aren't chicken feed by any stretch considering the age of these lads. And everyone has come out of the blue with little or no prior fanfare.

Two's company, three's a crowd... and four is more than a third of a team.

OK, they may not all be starters - in our opinion.

But, Ross Wilson and Eddie surely can;t have spent nigh on £126M on bench warming players who they think won't make an impact for another season or two.

The old saying... if you are good enough, you are old enough springs to mind.

Once the ink is dry on young Aladji's contract the tune around SJP and us fans might just shift more to La La La Bamba than the funeral march.

As Cliff would say...

We - and the young ones - shouldn't be afraid.

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