Eddie Howe may have a fight on his hands to keep one of his prized stars amid reported interest from Manchester United
Malick Thiaw of Newcastle United (L) celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammate Joe Willock (R) during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United
Malick Thiaw has been a hit with Newcastle United fans and his team-mates alike(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
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Manchester United are reportedly interested in Newcastle United defender Malick Thiaw.
Man United's defensive record has improved since Michael Carrick took over as interim manager, with three clean sheets in their last six Premier League matches. However, long-term injuries to Lisandro Martinez - who has since returned - and Matthijs de Ligt have affected the consistency of their defence.
Whilst their main focus for summer investment will be the midfield, strengthening their defence could be achieved by signing Thiaw, according to BILD's Christian Falk.
Falk, who is the head of football at the German publication, stated that Bayern Munich would consider signing the centre-back if one of their four key defenders leaves the club - but only under those circumstances.
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Claiming to know Thiaw "quite well," he conceded that it wouldn't make sense for him to join the Bundesliga champions due to the partnership forged between Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano.
Despite acknowledging that Thiaw is enjoying his career in the North East, having only joined Newcastle last summer, a move away from St James' Park could be on the cards due to reported interest from Old Trafford.
Malick Thiaw of Newcastle United
The Germany international has impressed in his debut season at St James' Park(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
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"I heard that the player himself would, of course, see a better chance of more minutes with the national side if he were to make a move back to Germany," Falk shared with CF Bayern Insider.
"I heard that Manchester United, however, do have their eye on the centre-back, so perhaps this is the more interesting transfer story at the moment." With the Red Devils yet to announce who will take up the role of their new permanent head coach, it's uncertain who they might target and whether they'll choose to bolster their defence.
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Despite the Magpies having a less than stellar season as they currently occupy 11th place, Thiaw previously received high praise from club and country team-mate Nick Woltemade after netting twice in a 4-1 victory over Everton.
"Unbelievable player," the forward commented. "We're always making jokes about how he can't head but today he scores two. Yesterday, he wanted to train headers but the rain was so bad that we couldn't train. But I don't think he needs it anymore!"
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