Malick Thiaw will have visions of becoming a Newcastle United legend, as he prepares to join the club from AC Milan.
The 24-year-old is on Tyneside, with Thiaw undergoing his Newcastle United medical before officially joining Eddie Howe’s side.
It is a great bit of business for the Magpies, with Thiaw set to cost around £34million. He will add depth to the Newcastle United defence, with the hope being that he will blossom into Sven Botman’s long-term partner at St James’ Park.
Thiaw actually has a unique opportunity at Newcastle, as he can quickly become the club’s best-ever German player. Interestingly, Newcastle do not actually have a rich history of players from Germany donning the famous black and white stripes.
In fact, only two German players have represented the club in the Premier League.
Malick Thiaw playing for AC Milan against Feyenoord in the Champions League.
Photo by Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images
Loris Karius
The most recent German to wear a Newcastle United shirt was Loris Karius. The goalkeeper spent two years on Tyneside, making one appearance in each of his two seasons under Eddie Howe.
Amazingly, Karius made his Newcastle United debut in the 2023 Carabao Cup final. It was a chance for him to become immortal, but it was a final that the Magpies lost 2-0 to Manchester United.
His only Premier League appearance for the Magpies came 12 months after, given the chance to start against Arsenal in the absence of Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka. Sadly for Newcastle and Karius, the Gunners won 4-1.
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Dietmar Hamann
The other German footballer to play for Newcastle United in the Premier League was Dietmar Hamann.
He spent just one season at St James’ Park, arriving from Bayern Munich for £5.5million in 1998.
Hamann was signed by Kenny Dalglish, but a quick change in management saw the midfielder play under Ruud Gullit instead. He made 31 appearances in total for the Magpies, scoring five goals.
One of his appearances came in the 1999 FA Cup final, which Newcastle United lost to Manchester United. There is a recurring theme here…
Newcastle United have only had two other German players in their history
There has only ever been one other German player on Newcastle United’s books in the Premier League era. That was Ralf Keidel.
Keidel was a Newcastle United player between 1997 and 1999, but never made an appearance for the club.
To find Newcastle United’s first German player, you have to go all the way back to the 1910s. A man called Edwin Dutton represented the club between 1910 and 1913. The whereabouts of his birth is uncertain, with his parents migrating to Germany.
His father was described as a sporting pioneer, bringing football and cricket to the cities of Berlin and Wroclaw.
Dutton played in Berlin either side of his Newcastle United stint, while he also won a cap for Germany in 1909.