Newcastle dressing room sent clear message after England star's comment on Malick Thiaw

Newcastle United have been sent a clear message about transfer target Malick Thiaw after the defender was described as a "fighter" by his AC Milan team-mate. The Magpies have long been searching for a partner to Sven Botman in central defence, with Dan Burn and Fabian Schar currently filling that void.

Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi has been pursued in recent times without success, but German defensive stalwart Thiaw also remains firmly on the club's wishlist. The 23-year-old has been with the Rossoneri since 2022. And despite losing his place in the starting line-up towards the end of last season, former England star Ruben Loftus-Cheek has provided a glowing endorsement. In an interview with SportWeek, Loftus-Cheek, who Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has previously pursued, faced rapid-fire questions about his Milan team-mates. When asked which team-mate he considers the biggest fighter, he wasted no time in responding: "Malick Thiaw."

It's clear that, whilst Loftus-Cheek identified goalkeeper Mike Maignan as the squad's most outspoken player in the dressing room, Thiaw is seen by his team-mates as a respectable and committed personality who could bring those qualities to St James' Park. The 6ft3in German is as dominant on the pitch as he appears off it, but struggled for regular minutes last term and seemed destined for a San Siro departure this summer.

However, despite Serie A outfit Como nearly completing a £21.7million swoop for the centre-back earlier in the transfer window, Thiaw displayed the same determination Loftus-Cheek mentioned by battling to reclaim his spot in the starting XI under new boss Massimiliano Allegri. Reports stated that Thiaw returned from his pre-season holidays ahead of schedule in order to impress and did not want to commit to a move away.

Allegri has handed him substantial game time during pre-season, having featured against Arsenal and Liverpool. And despite nearly leaving the San Siro for close to £20m, his dramatic turnaround means a reported fee of £30m or above would be necessary to prise him away, though Sky in Germany reports that personal terms have already been agreed between Thiaw and Newcastle.

Regardless of whether he becomes a Magpies player or not, Loftus-Cheek's endorsement reflects the calibre of player they would be getting should they splash the cash. And Howe is another who has heaped praise on him.

When asked about the defender last summer, Howe admitted: "There's no updates on that. I'm always reluctant to comment on these things, but he's a player I know about. Of course I do, from our games in the Champions League against Milan and yeah, he's a very good player, but that's it."

Newcastle might have some financial flexibility should the Alexander Isak transfer saga end with the Swede leaving the club, and an alternative to Thiaw could be Palace's Guehi, despite the Magpies being unsuccessful in their pursuit of him last summer. Guehi, whose contract is due to expire next year, is believed to be valued at around £50m by Crystal Palace, with rumours suggesting he could potentially be brought in for £40m.