The Magpies are among several sides monitoring Werder Bremen hot prospect Karim Coulibaly
Karim Coulibaly of Germany U21s
Germany U21 defender Karim Coulibaly has been linked with Newcastle(Image: Getty Images)
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Germany Under-21 international defender Karim Coulibaly is preparing to leave Werder Bremen this summer, with Newcastle United said to be one of FIVE clubs chasing the 18-year-old.
Coulibaly has emerged as a hot property in the Bundesliga this season, making 22 appearances for the German side in this his breakthrough campaign.
The centre-back has also graduated to the Germany U21 set-up this year, making his first appearances for his country, featuring against Northern Ireland in the recent international fixtures.
Reports in Germany suggest five clubs are keen on the defender this summer, with Newcastle joined by Chelsea, Napoli, Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain in following his progress.
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Now football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed the youngster will soon make a decision on where he will play next season.
"Big race started to sign Werder Bremen 18 year old centre back Karim Coulibaly in the summer," he posted on social media.
"Newcastle are involved as BILD reported with 5 more clubs around Europe also very keen. German youth international, prepared for a new chapter in the summer."
Coulibaly started his career at Hamburg, before making the switch to Bremen in 2024, making his debut for the Bundesliga side as a substiture against Eintracht Frankfurt last August. He then scored on his first start in a 3-3 draw with Bayer Leverkusen as week later.
Newcastle are thought to be looking at options to strengthen throughout the squad, but could soon face a decision on their central defensive options.
Dan Burn and Fabian Schar are approaching the end of their careers, with Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman expected to be the first-choice partnership.
United have also been linked with a move for Real Madrid youngster Diego Aguado said to be on their radar.