Newcastle United could go back to AC Milan to solve their centre-back problem this summer.
The Magpies did a big bit of business with the Serie A giants last year, as Sandro Tonali swapped the San Siro for St James’ Park. It was a major deal, as the midfielder became Newcastle’s second most expensive signing ever at £55million.
It was a blockbuster deal at the time, and highlighted Newcastle’s renewed pulling power following the change of ownership. However, the transfer is now looked at differently given Tonali spent most of his debut season suspended after being investigated for betting.
Despite that, it does not appear that there are any issues between Newcastle and AC Milan, and the two clubs could potentially do business yet again this summer.
Newcastle interested in Malick Thiaw
Despite already signing Lloyd Kelly, the Magpies want to bring in another centre-back. They want someone who can play on the right, with the view to becoming Sven Botman’s long-term centre-back partner at St James’ Park.
And there appears to be hope that AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw could do that job, with Newcastle showing an interest in the 22-year-old.
In fact, he has been described as a ‘dream’ signing for the Toon recruitment team.
Newcastle hold talks with AC Milan over Malick Thiaw
And that dream could soon become a reality, with a report in Italy sharing an update on Newcastle’s pursuit of Thiaw.
According to Calciomercato, Newcastle United have held direct talks with AC Milan in recent days about a deal for Thiaw, who they believe is a player that Eddie Howe really likes.
They add that Newcastle have been looking into whether or not Milan are willing to sell, with Calciomercato stating that the Rossoneri would ideally like to keep Thiaw due to the fact they already need defensive reinforcements heading into the 2024/25 season.
However, that does not necessarily mean that they will keep him. Calciomercato add that if AC Milan received an offer of £34million then they would at least have to consider it.
It may depend on Newcastle’s summer transfer budget
That could make Thiaw an affordable option for Newcastle, as £34million is not a huge amount of money. It is comparable to the sum that Sven Botman cost when he arrived from Lille in 2022.
Of course, it will all depend on how much Newcastle actually have to spend this summer. They are also in the market for a right winger, and you have to imagine that is where most of the budget will go.
It could end up costing around £60million to get the winger that the Magpies crave, given the fact they were in the mix for Michael Olise, who had a release clause for that amount.
Whether or not that would leave enough room in the budget to bring in a player like Thiaw remains to be seen, but the Germany international would certainly be an exciting addition.
If new sporting director Paul Mitchell can pull off a deal for the AC Milan defender then it will be a great start to his tenure at St James’ Park.
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