Newcastle United

Newcastle United

Premier League • England

Bayern star ‘interested’ in Newcastle move as talks confirmed by journalist

Niklas Sule Bayern

A Bayern Munich star is ‘interested’ in joining the project at Newcastle following their £305m takeover, according to one well-respected journalist.

The Magpies have been monitoring plenty of top players since they became the richest club in world football. Recent reports have suggested they could sign Toni Kroos from Real Madrid, in what would be a shock transfer.

The midfielder would be an ideal signing to kickstart their rise up the Premier League table and back into Europe. However, their ability to convince Kroos to join at this stage is unlikely.

A more realistic target is Hellas Verona’s Antonin Barak. He is a 26-year-old attacking midfielder who represented the Czech Republic at this summer’s European Championship.

He made three appearances at the tournament before their quarter-final defeat to Denmark.

Sport Witness claim that Newcastle are open to parting with €25m (£21.2m) to bring the playmaker to England.

The Magpies have now been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of a Bayern defender. SportBild journalist Christian Falk states that Niklas Sule is ‘interested’ in moving to St James’ Park.

The Germany international wants to make the move to the Premier League. The wages on offer at Newcastle would also be tempting.

Newcastle send scouts to watch Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz

Newcastle send scouts to watch Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz

Newcastle are stepping up their interest in Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz and have sent scouts to Germany according to reports, with more news on Jesse Lingard and Aaron Ramsey.

Falk confirmed that talks between Newcastle and Sule’s agent began three weeks ago. That suggests a move could occur if the Magpies manage a successful charm offensive.

Sule would undoubtedly be an improvement on Newcastle’s current centre-back options. He has helped Bayern to win four consecutive Bundesliga titles since 2018.

The 26-year-old also featured six times on the Bavarians’ route to Champions League glory two seasons ago.

Graeme Jones, Newcastle’s interim boss, can rely on Jamaal Lascelles, Ciaran Clark and Emil Krafth in the centre of defence. Club captain Lascelles could be a decent player to build around, but Clark and Krafth will not be able to match the new owners’ high standards over the next few years.

Newcastle suffer blow in manager hunt

Meanwhile, the Magpies have been formally rejected by Villarreal boss Unai Emery.

The former Arsenal manager pledged his allegiance to the Spanish outfit in a statement on Wednesday. It read: “For all the noise there was yesterday in another country, inside the club there was transparency and loyalty with the Roig family and with my squad, which is at its maximum and for me is the most important thing.

“Villarreal CF is my home. Honestly, I am grateful for the interest of a great club, but even more grateful to be here and that is why I communicated to Fernando Roig my decision to continue being part of this project, thanks to the commitment and respect that I feel from the club and my players, which is mutual and reciprocal.

“I want to thank the fans for the support they have given me always. On Sunday we have a very important game and I hope we can all together get victory. See you at the Estadio de la Ceramica.”

Newcastle could instead turn to either Eddie Howe or Paulo Fonseca.

READ MORE: Norwich eye Newcastle managerial target amid Daniel Farke pressure