Premier League trio Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and West Ham United are eyeing a move for AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw.
Malick Thiaw, 23, joined AC Milan from FC Schalke in 2022 and has gone onto make over 80 appearances for the Serie A side. Despite an underwhelming campaign for AC Milan, he has been heavily involved and managed to keep his place in the side under new coach Sergio Conceicao.
The three-cap Germany international is thinking about a potential move away from the San Siro this summer, even though he is featuring regularly and not unhappy at Milan. Yet, Tottenham, Newcastle and West Ham are reportedly vying for Thiaw’s signature ahead of the summer transfer window.
Tottenham, Newcastle and West Ham interested in Malick Thiaw
Tottenham have been defensively fragile this season, thanks to numerous injury problems. First-choice centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have not played much together owing to injuries, while their back-up Radu Dragusin has been ruled out for the foreseeable future with an ACL rupture.
Thus, Spurs are keen on bolstering their defensive unit this summer. They like Thiaw, who can operate as both centre-back and right-back—as evidenced at Milan. At 23, the German fits the category of signings the North Londoners have been making in recent years.
As for Newcastle, they were heavily linked with a move for Thiaw last summer. However, nothing happened of the rumours and he stayed put at Milan. Now ahead of the summer transfer window, the Magpies have seemingly revived their interest in the Dusseldorf-born talent.
Eddie Howe’s three main central defenders are over 30 years of age, so Newcastle is hunting for long-term options at the heart of their backline. Thiaw should be an ideal option for the Tyneside-based club, adding both quality and competition for the current roster.
Meanwhile, West Ham have been extremely leaky at the back. New boss Graham Potter has not been successful in stemming the flow of goals since replacing Julen Lopetegui earlier this year. Despite signing defender Jean-Claire Todibo and Max Kilman last summer, the Hammers are planning to spend again to fix their woes at the back.
They are also looking at Thiaw to potentially provide solution to their defensive fragilities. The 23-year-old could be a smart option for West Ham, as he can slot in at back four and in a three-man defence under Potter next season.
That being said, it will be interesting to see which club manages to win the race for Thiaw’s signature or he ends up staying at Milan for the second summer running.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
