Newcastle United have been linked with signing Marcus Thuram this summer, but it sounds like he has eyes for a move elsewhere.
The French forward is set to become a free agent, with his Borussia Monchengladbach contract due to expire. That has led to a plethora of clubs chasing Thuram‘s signature, one of which is Newcastle.
The Magpies have been heavily linked with Thuram ever since the January transfer window, while there have even been claims that Newcastle were leading the race to sign the 25-year-old.
However, a fresh report suggests that is not the case, and that Thuram would rather take his talents to Spain rather than Tyneside.
Marcus Thuram fancies Spain move
French football expert Jonathan Johnson has spoke about Thuram’s future, and provided an update on where he is most likely to end up this summer.
“Perhaps if someone like Newcastle came in for Thuram now, with the offer of Champions League football, that could be of interest to him, but I understand he sees Spain as a preferable destination,” he said.
“If I had to pick two likely destinations for him, I think Atleti and Inter look the favourites. He’s allowed himself a few months to come to the end of his contract so there’ll be options out there for him, and I think he’ll make his choice once the Bundesliga season comes to an end.”
Newcastle look likely to miss out
While getting Thuram on a free would have been a brilliant bit of business, it does not sound like he fancies a move to the Premier League.
As Johnson says, the lure of Champions League football can help Newcastle’s cause, but it looks he wants to swap Germany for Spain.
As someone who can play through the middle or out wide, Thuram would have been a great signing, but it looks like this one just is not meant to be.
Given the amount of clubs that have been linked with him, it is no surprise to hear that we are now likely to miss out. His free agency status makes him a man in demand, while his reputation has been majorly enhanced by his performances in the Bundesliga this season.
There was hope that his friendship with Allan Saint-Maximin would give us an edge, but that does not appear to be the case.
It means Eddie Howe will need to look elsewhere for attacking reinforcements, as he looks to build on a squad that has done the impossible and qualified for the Champions League.