placeholder image
Getty Images
Newcastle United made various attempts to sign Malick Thiaw before signing him in August.
Thiaw arrived from AC Milan for £35million and has quickly become one of the first names on the Magpies’ team sheet.
Due to the form of Fabian Schar and Dan Burn - United’s Carabao Cup-winning centre-back partnership - Thiaw had to stay patient initially.
But his opportunity came when Schar sustained a concussion during the Champions League defeat to Barcelona on September 18. And since then, Thiaw hasn’t looked back.
The 24-year-old is expected to make his 10th consecutive start when Newcastle face West Ham United away in the Premier League this afternoon (kick-off 2pm).
Eddie Howe on Malick Thiaw’s impact at Newcastle United
Asked if Thiaw had settled quicker than expected, Howe replied: “When you've played at the level that he's played at for the last few seasons and also for the size of club that's he has done, you hope that he can come in and handle everything that the Premier League has to offer, that he can handle playing for Newcastle.
“His experience - he's got really good experience in the game – has shone through. Off the pitch, he's been very, very calm, quite quiet, but very, very focused, and on the training pitch is where he's elevated his performances.
“He trained really well in those early weeks when he wasn't playing and that was crucial for him, that he didn't let the fact he didn't go straight into the team affect him and then when he got his opportunity, he was able to take it.”
Newcastle United made ‘various attempts’ to sign Malick Thiaw
Newcastle came up against Thiaw during a Champions League match at the San Siro in September 2023 and in the following summer were linked with a transfer.
Quizzed about the Thiaw links during the club’s pre-season tour of Tokyo, Howe admitted he was a “very good player” but that was as far as it went as United instead tried, and failed, to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.
It wasn’t until Thiaw rejected a move to Como 1907 in July that the Newcastle links re-emerged. And this time, it was concrete. This time, a deal was struck.
Read More
“Malick was a player we'd known for a long, long time and we'd made various attempts to try and sign him and it hadn't quite worked out in previous windows,” Howe explained to NewcastleWorld.
“This window, it felt like everything might align a bit better in terms of his situation at his club, our need, available funds, there's a lot that goes into it and thankfully that was the case.
“It wasn't an easy transfer to complete, he's obviously very highly rated, but we were delighted to see off any other suitors and finally get him. It felt like a long pursuit but certainly worth the wait.”
Continue Reading