Second source tips Man Utd raid for ‘£80m’ Prem centre-back as rival suitors DISMISSED

Links between Manchester United and Newcastle’s Malick Thiaw are growing after a second source echoed claims of their interest and ruled out a rival suitor from the race to sign him.

Thiaw has widely impressed in his debut Premier League season after joining Newcastle from AC Milan in the summer. He has already racked up 41 appearances and has even chipped in with five goals along the way. Since starting a Premier League game for the first time, he has only missed 51 minutes of action in the top flight.

His form has led to links with a move to Man Utd. A recent report by Sports Boom claimed the Red Devils were plotting a move for Thiaw.

The same source tipped Bayern Munich to try and take Thiaw back to his native Germany. But now, some clarity has come from leading Bayern reporter, Christian Falk, whose update tips the scales firmly in Man Utd’s favour.

“It is NOT TRUE [that] Bayern are interested in signing Malick Thiaw this summer,” Falk said via his CF Bayern Insider website.

“Of course, he’s an interesting player. He’s already played for the German national team, and if they’re searching for a new centre-back, Thiaw has a profile that’s of great interest.

“I know the player quite well, but at the moment, it doesn’t make any sense to bring the 24-year-old to Munich because of Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano.

“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.

“But Malick Thiaw is doing very well at Newcastle, and he’s enjoying his stay there, so there’s no pressure here!

“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!”

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Do Man Utd need Thiaw?

Newcastle are unlikely to be too happy about Thiaw being linked with other clubs, but will point to his contract lasting until 2029 as a negotiating factor that should strengthen their hand.

The fee they paid Milan for Thiaw was in the region of £30m, and the Daily Telegraph‘s Luke Edwards has cited £80m as a likely price tag from Newcastle’s perspective now.

Man Utd’s needs at centre-back this summer will depend on two things: first, if their manager next season will favour a formation with three or two centre-backs, and second, if Harry Maguire will sign a new contract or not.

TEAMtalk understands that Man Utd are closing in on a new deal for Maguire. But as he prepares to turn 33, they may still need to be mindful of the future of their defence.

Maguire might transition into more of a backup role in time. United still have Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez and Leny Yoro to count upon, while Ayden Heaven will hope to continue his progression.

If United’s manager next season – be that Michael Carrick or a replacement – favours a back three, they might want one more player for depth. But if they go with a back four, United should be well stocked enough not to have to worry about spending so heavily on another centre-back.

Man Utd transfer news: Murillo, Rashford…

Another Premier League defender United have been linked with this week is Nottingham Forest’s Murillo.

Unlike Thiaw, Murillo is a left-footed centre-back. TEAMtalk can confirm Murillo has registered on United’s radar.

In other news, we can reveal a Bundesliga midfielder that United scouts have been impressed by.

And elsewhere, sources have shared the two sacrifices Marcus Rashford has made to come to an agreement on personal terms with Barcelona for a permanent move.