Bamba's composure and physicality could justify Newcastle's £35.5m outlay

Bamba's first appearance for Monaco was at Auxerre in September. He was damn good. Eleven senior starts later, he's off to St James' Park. That debut? It spoke volumes. He pinged 74 of 78 passes, bossed more aerial duels than anyone on the pitch. No question about his physical game, even at that age.

Sky Sports quotes Monaco's old technical coach, Abel Lorincz. He couldn't get over Bamba's composure from day one. "He came through the B team at Monaco and when he joined the first team in training he impressed the coaches enough to give him some chances," Lorincz recounted. Monaco manager Adi Hutter, back then, said Bamba played like a seasoned pro.

His defensive numbers stuck out all last season. Bamba clocked 9.06 duels won per 90 minutes in Ligue 1. Nobody else came close. But don't let those headline numbers fool you; there's more going on. He was second for ground duels. Fourth for tackles. This kid can scrap, not just win headers.

There’s more to it. Bamba laughs off pressure. His ball control is ice-cold. He's exactly the kind of midfielder who can pick apart a packed defence with sharp passes, dictate the pace. Monaco's ex-assistant, Damien Perrineau, even drilled him on slicing through lines. And Lorincz again? He raves about Bamba’s knack for switching play, for twisting out of trouble.

Compare him defensively to Joao Gomes, who landed at Aston Villa for roughly the same price. The numbers say they're both effective. But Gomes is a whirlwind of pure combat. Bamba? He moves with a lazy elegance. Different beast. Same bite, but far more flair on the ball.