Newcastle start work on signing £35m midfielder

Newcastle United’s decline in 2025/26 will have been a huge concern to the Saudi PIF, especially considering the money they have invested over recent seasons.

Last summer alone, over £180m was spent on new additions to bolster Eddie Howe’s side, but their investment failed to have the desired effect in the Premier League.

The Magpies ended the recent campaign in a measly 12th position, subsequently missing out on any form of European football for the 2026/27 campaign as a result.

Howe has since been given the benefit of the doubt and will once again lead the club next term, but there will undoubtedly be huge pressure on the 48-year-old to provide the goods.

Money will likely be splashed on Tyneside once again this window, as numerous top-level players have already appeared on their shortlist in recent weeks.

Newcastle could have £35m bid accepted for European star

Over the last couple of days, Newcastle have already secured their first signing of the summer after goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen arrived from French club Reims.

However, the Magpies’ efforts have shown no sign of slowing down of late, as seen by their reported interest in striking a deal to sign Victor Munoz in recent weeks.

It’s been rumoured that a deal is edging closer to completion on Tyneside, but a fee still needs to be agreed with Osasuna before the Spaniard can complete his move.

He’s not the only player currently in Howe’s sights at present, with Juventus midfielder Khephren Thuram another player being considered ahead of the 2026/27 season.

According to TuttoSport, Newcastle have registered their interest in a move for the French international, who made 35 appearances in Serie A this campaign.

The report claims that Nottingham Forest and Sunderland are two other Premier League clubs in the race to secure the Frenchman’s signature at present with all three clubs having commenced work on a potential move by sending scouts to keep a close eye on his performances.

The Old Lady are reluctant to offload the 25-year-old during the ongoing window, but they could be tempted to cash in should they receive an offer in the region of €40m (£35m).

Why Thuram would be better than Tonali for Newcastle

As seen last summer with Alexander Isak and already this window with Anthony Gordon, Newcastle have often had to cash in and sell some of their biggest talents.

Sandro Tonali is another player who could end up in the aforementioned category, with the Italian international hugely linked with a move away from St James’ Park this summer.

The 26-year-old has huge interest from Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur – with the lack of European football on Tyneside a factor to his potential departure.

Howe’s side are set to demand a small fortune if Tonali departs the club this summer, with any interested party needing it fork out a fee in the region of £80m.

However, it could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the Magpies this window, especially if they can make a huge profit on the former AC Milan star and land a deal for Thuram.

The Frenchman has massively caught the eye in Italy over the last couple of months, as seen by his superb stats across the 2025/26 campaign – many of which were better than those of Tonali’s.

Thuram, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one Athletic writer, managed to make 2.2 tackles per 90, whilst also coming out on top of 54% of the ground duels he entered.

Both of the aforementioned figures were higher than those produced by Tonali at St James’ Park – highlighting the Juve star’s dominance without the ball.

He also managed to achieve a 62% dribble success rate in Serie A, alongside an 88% pass completion rate – two figures that are both better than the current Magpies number eight.

The Frenchman’s talents in possession, coupled with his skill set without the ball, undoubtedly make him a phenomenal all-round option – and a better one than Tonali.

Selling the Italian would be a bitter blow to Howe’s plans for the next campaign, but their lack of European football could make it extremely hard to keep hold of the fan-favourite.

However, a move for Thuram would undoubtedly soften the blow of his departure and possibly hand the Magpies a better version of the box-to-box midfielder.

At just £35m, it could also prove to be a bargain addition and one that could catapult Newcastle back up the Premier League table throughout 2026/27.