Newcastle United are finalising a £43million deal to sign Ivory Coast winger Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim, with the 20-year-old expected to become Anthony Gordon's successor on the left wing. Toure has been described as a 'flash' player with blistering speed, and his rapid rise from the Swedish Allsvenskan to the Premier League in just 17 months has caught the attention of European football.
Swedish step and Kim Hellberg influence
Toure began his career at the ASEC Mimosas academy in Ivory Coast, the same club that produced Yaya and Kolo Toure, Gervinho, and others. After helping the club win the Ivorian league title in 2022/23, he moved to Swedish side Hammarby in 2024. He made his first start in the eighth match of the season, creating a goal in a 2-1 win over Norrkoping, and never looked back.
Ola Wenstrom, a Swedish football TV host, told Chronicle Live: 'From the first glimpses you could see there was something different about him. His pace, his ability to beat defenders one-on-one and his confidence on the ball stood out immediately.' Toure scored nine goals and registered three assists in his first season, earning the nickname 'Smiling Tornado' and a personal song from fans.
Kim Hellberg, now Middlesbrough manager but then Hammarby head coach, played a key role in Toure's development. 'He challenged him tactically, especially without the ball, and helped him understand when to dribble, when to combine and how to influence games over 90 minutes,' Wenstrom said. Hellberg himself said: 'I think he can play at the absolute highest level... He is unique in his way of learning things and picking things up.'
Bundesliga explosion
Toure joined Hoffenheim for €10m in February 2025. After adapting to the Bundesliga in the second half of the 2024/25 season, he exploded in 2025/26, scoring five goals and providing 12 assists in the league. DataMB recorded him in the 98th percentile for accurate crosses (55, the most in Europe's top five leagues), 92nd for assists, 91st for key passes, 85th for successful dribbles, and 79th for progressive carries. His performances helped Hoffenheim finish fifth and qualify for the Europa League.
Hoffenheim reporter Linus Uhrig of BILD said: 'One word: Speed. Toure is your typical fast winger, always looking for a one on one with the defenders who often struggle against his pace.' After a match against Heidenheim, right-wing-back Omar Traore admitted he had rarely faced a winger as fast as Toure. The player himself said: 'I’d say it’s one of my strengths... I am the flash of the team.'
Will he thrive in the Premier League?
Toure's attributes—pace, direct running, and courage to take on defenders—are well-suited to English football, according to Wenstrom. 'Of course, the Premier League is another level, and consistency will be the key. But if he keeps developing the way he has over the last two years, there’s every reason to believe he can become a very exciting Premier League player.'
Uhrig added: 'He still has to work on his physicality [but] he has all the potential to make it in the Premier League.'
