Bazoumana Toure was part of the Ivory Coast squad at the World Cup. Bazoumana Toure beamed after completing his £43m move to Newcastle United from Hoffenheim. The Ivory Coast forward is not about to stop grinning, as former Hammarby team-mate Nahir Besara explained.

"It doesn't matter if it is a good day or a bad day," he said. "He always goes into the locker room with a smile, ready to work." This transfer marks the latest step in a rapid rise for the 20-year-old, who dreamt of playing in the Premier League.

Toure only joined Swedish side Hammarby in 2024, and departed for Hoffenheim a year later. After just 18 months in the Bundesliga, he boarded a private jet bound for Tyneside. Toure has never forgotten those who have helped him along the way.

"The day before he left Hammarby, he sent me money as a gift," Besara said. "Of course I sent it back, but it was an amazing gesture. He wanted to show me that he was thankful for what I did for him, but I was more thankful to him because he came to our club and helped us. He is a person I will never forget."

Newcastle will hope Toure makes a similar lasting impression, both on and off the field. The club had been in the market for a left winger following Anthony Gordon's £69.3m move to Barcelona back in June. After missing out on Victor Munoz, who opted to join Liverpool from Osasuna, Newcastle sorely needed a breakthrough in their search.

Not least after agreeing to sell another key player, midfielder Sandro Tonali, to Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth up to £100m. Tonali's impending exit was crucial, though, to enable Newcastle to create further headroom within the game's financial rules to reinvest in several areas of the side.

And Toure fits the profile of player they have been targeting this summer. He is young, hungry and wants to play for Newcastle, which is particularly significant following a number of knockbacks for the club in the transfer market in the last 12 months. The Ivory Coast international also has the potential to flourish in the right hands.

Hammarby sporting director Mikael Hjelmberg, who brought Toure to Europe, knows that better than most. Hjelmberg said he "fell in love" with Toure when he first watched him play for ASEC Mimosas in his homeland.

"It's his personality," he said. "He's always smiling, always positive." Toure's positivity translates on to the field. The rapid winger certainly tried to make things happen at Hoffenheim, who narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Champions League last season.

Of the forwards playing in the Bundesliga in 2025-26, Toure ranked first for successful crosses (39), joint-second for assists (nine), joint-third for dribbles completed (48) and fourth for chances created (45) and big chances created (11).

However, he is far from a maverick. "You see his qualities with the ball, his speed and his hard work," Besara said. "But the thing that amazed me was he could take directions from the coaches and the players, and do it directly on the pitch."

"I remember previously he had scored some goals for Hammarby, but he had not scored a header at the time. The day before a game, our coach [Kim Hellberg] said, 'Bazou, I want you to go to the first post and head the ball'. He went on to score two headers in that game. He's really adaptable at taking tactical advice."

Toure's ability to quickly process information has been key to the improvements he has made out of possession, too. Toure came out on top in 152 duels and won the ball back 127 times in his final league campaign at Hoffenheim.

The Premier League is another step up, though. Toure is still raw and needs to work on various areas of his game, including his finishing. He will also need time to adjust to the league's physicality and intensity, and the system Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe uses.

But the winger will be able to fall back on recent experience after repeatedly adapting to new environments over the years. "I know he will be really successful," Besara said. "Mark my words."

Latest Newcastle news, analysis and fan views Ask about Newcastle - what do you want to know?