Newcastle start talks to sign a second midfielder

Newcastle United are preparing an official proposal to sign Freiburg’s Johan Manzambi and bring him over to St. James’ Park.

Eddie Howe and the Magpies’ recruitment team have been at sixes and sevens over the past 13 months, unable to mount and maintain the expected level in the transfer market.

It derailed Newcastle’s 2024/25 campaign, sending them spinning off into mid-table.

Howe believes Manzambi could be a game-changing signing, and he better be right, with Sandro Tonali on the cusp of completing a £100m transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.

Newcastle in talks to sign new midfielder

The Tonali saga has not been pleasant for the Newcastle persuasion, but the outcome hasn’t come as too much of a surprise. Whether the Magpies manage to effectively reinvest the nine-digit rush is another question entirely, and one which Howe must prove he has the answer.

Manzambi, 20, is tipped for big things, and indeed, could be a game-changing signing, but he’s young and inexperienced. Newcastle need to add proven quality in midfield, and technical director Ross Wilson has found the perfect player to do it.

According to reports in Italy, Newcastle are among a long list of Premier League clubs who have made contact with Juventus star Khephren Thuram over a potential summer move.

While talks are merely exploratory at this stage, the Magpies have learned that a €50m (£42m) bid could be accepted, with Juve willing to cash in.

Liverpool, Nottingham Forest are all interested, and while there is also intrigue from the Turkish Super Lig, the France midfielder is not so sold on that option.

Why Thuram can be another Manzambi for Newcastle

Thuram is 25 years old, and he has developed into a first-class Serie A midfielder, someone whose mix of physicality, athleticism and technicality could see him make a real impact for a resurgent Newcastle side.

During his time at OGC Nice, Thuram was described as a “one-man army in midfield” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and he has only deepened his skillset since then, now a mainstay for a Juventus side who have benefitted from his wide arsenal, ranking among top passers and dribblers in Italian football last season.

The World Cup has pulled general attention away from the transfer market, but Newcastle must still ensure that they make the sweeping changes needed to return to the top. Thuram could help them achieve this.

Like Tonali before him, he would arrive from Serie A with a weight of expectation, with a more rounded approach than someone like Manzambi, who has excelled for Freiburg and Switzerland over the past year, but who hasn’t yet shown the kind of consistency needed to flourish for a team like Newcastle in the Premier League, with such expectation around every game.

Of course, it would be nice to land both midfielders this summer, but Thuram could actually provide the Manzambi-like quality that Howe is so intent on fuelling his system with.

Physical and with an eye for a pass, Thuram is certainly the right profile for this side, and Newcastle would not regret it if they beat away rival competition from the likes of Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain to secure his services.

Manzambi could be a first-class signing for Newcastle this summer, but he’s too young to make the marquee man. Much needs to change on Tyneside, and by signing Thuram, Howe would land the experienced midfielder needed to return to former territory in the Premier League – and in Europe too.