The 50-million-euro Ivorian set to become the next African success story

Bazoumana Toure

Bazoumana Touré has completed a €50 million move to Newcastle United. The 20-year-old Ivorian is the latest success story in a long line of African talents who used Scandinavia as a stepping stone to the top. In this edition of Hidden Gems, GOAL takes a closer look at his journey.

By now, it's a well-established route for many of Africa's brightest young footballers: develop at home, move to Scandinavia, and earn a dream transfer to one of Europe's biggest leagues. The best-known example is FC Nordsjælland.

The Danish club was taken over in 2015 by Right to Dream Academy, one of Africa's most successful football academies. Based mainly in Ghana, the academy has produced elite talent year after year.

Players such as Ibrahim Sadiq (AZ), Ibrahim Osman (formerly of Feyenoord) and Adamo Nagalo (PSV) all came through Right to Dream before making their mark at Nordsjælland.

And then there is the academy's biggest success story: Mohammed Kudus. The Ghanaian winger moved from Right to Dream to Ajax before earning Premier League transfers to West Ham United and later Tottenham Hotspur, generating well over €100 million in transfer fees.

They are far from the only examples. Simon Adingra (Sunderland), Kamaldeen Sulemana (Atalanta) and Ernest Nuamah (Olympique Lyon) also began their journeys at Right to Dream. The next wave is already coming, with 19-year-old Prince Amoako Junior and midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi—who recently became Ghana's youngest-ever World Cup goalscorer at the age of 20—both tipped for major moves.

Mohammed Kudus remains the most successful Right to Dream graduate. But Nordsjælland is not the only Scandinavian club discovering African talent. Yankuba Minteh made his breakthrough at Danish side Odense before joining Newcastle United, with a successful spell at Feyenoord helping him earn another big Premier League transfer.This year, Sweden's Allsvenskan has become the latest league to benefit from Africa's talent pipeline.Nigerian youngster Zadok Yohanna broke the Swedish outgoing transfer record when his €28 million move to Brighton & Hove Albion officially went through on July 1.That means Bazoumana Touré, who only held the spotlight briefly, now ranks as the fifth-most expensive outgoing transfer in Allsvenskan history.Just one year ago, the Ivorian left Hammarby for TSG Hoffenheim in a €10 million deal. It turned out to be a bargain for the German club, who have now sold him after only one season—for €50 million.Newcastle United won the bidding war, and the Magpies—who had lost Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham—see Touré's arrival as welcome compensation.That makes perfect sense: Touré was one of the Bundesliga's breakout stars last season. Alongside fellow Ivorian Yan Diomande, he attracted interest from a long list of Europe's biggest clubs. ⚡️Bazoumana Touré. pic.twitter.com/Ps4GD1VWQx— Fener Ajans 🇹🇷 (@ajansfenercom) January 22, 2025 Like compatriot Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta), Touré started his career at Ivory Coast's most successful club, ASEC Mimosas. From Abidjan, both players moved to Sweden, where Hammarby welcomed them with open arms.Kossounou eventually earned moves to Club Brugge, Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta.Touré's path led him to Hoffenheim. The Bundesliga has already nicknamed him "The Ivorian Flash", and it's easy to understand why. You don't need to be a football analyst to notice that Touré is incredibly fast. Last season, he ranked among the quickest players in Germany."A lot of people say I'm very fast, and that's certainly one of my greatest qualities," says Touré. "But yes, I do think I'm the team's 'flash'. If I hadn't gone into football, I'd have taken up athletics. I'd have been sprinting, just like Usain Bolt."Touré developed that speed on the beaches of Ivory Coast. "Back home, I worked a lot on my pace. I always ran on sand, which is much tougher than running on grass. It helped me enormously. When I was younger, other players were faster than me—but I literally caught up with them."Still, he knows speed alone isn't enough. "Of course my pace helps me, but football is much more than that. I still need to improve what comes after the sprint—the pass, the cross or the finish. Everything has to be done at top speed."That self-criticism is understandable, but Touré's numbers are already impressive. Last season, the 20-year-old recorded five goals and twelve assists in the Bundesliga—a strong return for such a young winger. A look at Touré's stats (source: The Athletic)Despite his slim frame, Touré is physically stronger than he looks and has a remarkable ability to keep possession even when it seems he is about to lose the ball.According to The Telegraph, Newcastle's scouts were particularly impressed by his first touch, close control and relentless work rate. "At Hoffenheim, he presses tirelessly and is equally willing to sprint back and defend."An analysis by The Athletic even describes Touré as the mirror image of Yankuba Minteh.The step up to the physical demands of the Premier League will undoubtedly require an adjustment, but Newcastle are paying for potential as much as present ability.And once again, the route from Africa to Scandinavia to a blockbuster transfer has produced another remarkable success story.