Eddie Howe has spoken out following confirmation that Newcastle United have signed Malick Thiaw from AC Milan.
Newcastle United have spent the last 12 months trying to sign a centre-back, and now that search has come to an end.
With Newcastle distancing themselves from Marc Guehi, Malick Thiaw emerged as the club’s first choice.
Thiaw has joined Newcastle United from AC Milan, with the 24-year-old costing around £34million with add-ons. He has signed a four-year deal with the Magpies and will wear the number 12 shirt for Eddie Howe’s side.
He will compete with Fabian Schar for a place in the Magpies’ starting XI, with the hope being that he will become Sven Botman’s long-term centre-back partner at St James’ Park.
Malick Thiaw playing in a friendly for AC Milan against Liverpool.
Photo by Thomas Tang/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
With Thiaw officially a Newcastle player, Eddie Howe has given his verdict on what the Germany international will bring to his side.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the Newcastle United manager has given his immediate thoughts on signing Thiaw.
“We’re really pleased to have Malick on board,” Howe said.
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“He’s a player I’ve admired for a long time and somebody who will add real quality to our defensive options.
“Malick is still young but brings valuable experience of Champions League football, as well as playing in the Bundesliga and Serie A, which is a major positive for us as we return to Europe this season.”
Eddie Howe spoke only about Malick Thiaw in 2024
This is not the first time that Howe has openly spoken to the media about Thiaw.
He actually spoke about him during the summer of 2024 while the Magpies were in the middle of a pre-season trip to Japan.
Newcastle were trying to sign Thiaw at the time, and Howe gave his verdict on a player that his team had come up against in the Champions League.
On Thiaw, Howe said: “I’m always reluctant to comment on these things, but he’s a player I know about, of course I do, from our games in the Champions League against Milan and yeah, he’s a very good player, but that’s it.”
Fast forward 12 months and Thiaw is finally a Magpie. He is linking up with his new teammates ahead of Saturday’s Premier League opener against Aston Villa, and will be eager to make his debut.
If he does feature at Villa Park, it will almost certainly be as a substitute. There is no way that Howe is going to thrust Thiaw straight into his starting XI, despite the fact that Toon fans are desperate to see the new recruit in action.