Newcastle United are among several clubs linked with a move for Werder Bremen centre-back Karim Coulibaly.
Werder Bremen are set to demand around £40million for Newcastle United transfer target Karim Coulibaly.
The 18-year-old has emerged as one of the most sought-after centre-backs in the Bundesliga following a breakthrough season.
Coulibaly, who joined from Hamburg’s academy in 2024, has made 22 senior appearances this term and recently made his debut for Germany’s under-21s.
Newcastle club-record signing Nick Woltemade was born in Bremen and graduated from their academy system before joining Stuttgart on a free transfer.
Big clubs eyeing NUFC transfer target Karim Coulibaly
The Magpies are closely tracking Coulibaly but they aren’t alone, with Sky Sport Germany reporting interest from European heavyweights Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli, as well as Premier League duo Manchester United and Chelsea.
Chelsea, it’s claimed, have already made contact with Coulibaly’s representatives but are yet to approach Bremen.
Coulibaly “dreams” of one day playing for PSG but would face stiff competition from Willian Pacho, Marquinhos, Ilya Zabarnyi, and Lucas Beraldo.
Werder Bremen set Karim Coulibaly price tag
Werder Bremen sporting director Clemens Fritz publicly addressed the interest in Coulibaly last month and said: “That interest is not a surprise. We are talking about an 18-year-old left-footed central defender who is an undisputed starter in the Bundesliga.
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"He is attracting interest. He is very clear-headed. Very focused and determined, and that is exactly what we need right now."
Sky Germany claims the German side will demand between £34m to £43m for Coulibaly. While a summer departure is growing increasingly likely, the club’s head of first-team football Peter Niemeyer previously said it wasn’t guaranteed.
“We are aware that there is movement regarding this personnel matter, but there is currently no indication of what the next steps might be or whether this will already happen in the summer,” Niemeyer told Kicker. “It is, of course, clear that a player with this profile attracts great interest and a lot of attention.”
Newcastle United eyeing defensive reinforcements
Newcastle are looking for defensive reinforcements in the upcoming transfer window. Kieran Trippier has announced he will leave at the end of his contract on June 30, while Emil Krafth and Fabian Schar are also out of contract as it stands.
An extension for Krafth appears unlikely at this stage but Schar staying remains a possibility with talks expected to take place now the Swiss centre-back is nearing a return from three months out with an ankle problem.
The Magpies are braced for interest in Tino Livramento, who has been heavily linked with Manchester City. But as well as potential departures, there is also a need to bring down the average age of the backline with Dan Burn turning 34 and Schar turning 35 this year.
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