Newcastle United are set to approach AC Milan over a deal to sign Malick Thiaw, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Magpies have had a crazy summer so far after adding Anthony Elanga and Aaron Ramsdale to Eddie Howe's squad so far, while they are battling to keep hold of star striker Alexander Isak after he asked to leave.
But while a new striker has been top of their priority list for most of the summer, they are now turning their attention to strengthening their defence with a long-term target.
Newcastle Set to Approach for Thiaw
Allegri sees him as a key player
Malick Thiaw of AC Milan
Thiaw was a target for the Magpies in the summer of 2024 but they eventually opted to target Marc Guehi instead, but failed in their bid to bring the Crystal Palace captain to St James' Park.
But now the club are ready to reignite their interest in the 23-year-old German, with Romano reporting that the Toon are ready to open talks with AC Milan to discover his asking price.
However, any deal is unlikely to be easy to do. Thiaw was on the verge of joining Cesc Fabregas' Como side in July before a deal collapsed, and he is now seen as an important part of the squad by new manager Max Allegri.
Newcastle are keen to strengthen the centre of defence after injury issues for Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles last season, while Dan Burn and Fabian Schar are both on the wrong side of 33.
A striker is also being worked on with the club hopeful of doing a deal for Brentford star Yoane Wissa, while a bid worth €90m (£78.3m) has been tabled for RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko too.
Malick Thiaw Serie A Stats 2024/25
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All statistics courtesy of WhoScored - correct as of 05/08/2025.