Newcastle United
Premier League • England
Newcastle move closer to striker coup as talks begin over capture of Arsenal, Liverpool-linked goalscorer
Newcastle United have taken another step in their chase for a France international striker after beginning discussions with his agent, according to a report.
Eddie Howe already has strong centre-forward options through Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak. Wilson moved to St James’ Park before the Saudi Arabian takeover, with Newcastle paying Bournemouth £20million to sign him on a four-year contract.
Isak, meanwhile, joined Newcastle in August last year. He became the Magpies’ record signing after they parted with £60m to land him from Spanish side Real Sociedad.
Newcastle offloaded a striker in the recent January transfer window as Chris Wood left for Nottingham Forest. His loan could become permanent if certain conditions are met.
Despite having Wilson and Isak already in his ranks, there is good reason to suggest Howe needs another goalscorer this summer. Wilson is prone to hamstring injuries, which means he tends to be out for at least five matches per season.
Isak, meanwhile, is still only 23 and is adapting to the Premier League. As such, Isak could probably do with having another striker provide him with competition and backup for when Wilson is recovering from injury.
And one player Newcastle have landed on is Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram. He was expected to leave the German club for a reduced price in January, as his contract expires on June 30.
Despite interest from Newcastle, Liverpool, Arsenal and Inter Milan, the France attacker has stayed put. And he will now leave Gladbach on a free transfer this summer.
Newcastle, Villa in discussions over striker deal
On Monday, it emerged that Inter have sent Thuram a contract offer. He is leaning towards accepting it, although he will wait until proposals come from English teams before making a final decision.
An update on the situation now arrives from Italian source FC Inter News. They reiterate the fact Inter are one of the leading candidates for Thuram.
However, the Nerazzurri could lose out to Newcastle. That is because Howe’s side have begun talks with Thuram’s agent and are ‘expressing interest’ in a summer deal.
Aston Villa have also begun initial discussions with the 25-year-old. Villa boss Unai Emery is a big fan of his.
Clearly, Newcastle and Villa being in talks with Thuram’s agent is a step in the right direction. It means they are working to strike up a good relationship with the representative before submitting contract offers which rival Inter’s.
However, it is now a case of the two Premier League clubs actually submitting those offers. If they wait too long, then Thuram may become fed up and accept Inter’s proposal. That is already waiting to be signed.
It is not like Newcastle and Villa will struggle to meet Thuram’s wage demands, either. Both have wealthy owners who have the ability to pump money into the club for transfer fees and salaries.