Premier League strugglers Newcastle United could've signed Bundesliga goal-machine Marcus Thuram for £7m if they'd triggered his release clause.
The last time Borussia Monchengladbach spent two weeks at the top of the table, they won the Bundesliga title.
And, after Sunday’s 4-2 triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt, Marco Rose’s side have now spent three successive weeks in the number one spot, breaking a 43-year wait in the process. Is history about to repeat itself in glorious fashion?
Now, it is too soon to suggest that Bayern Munich’s crown could be stolen away by usurpers from the north but, with a striker like Marcus Thuram in the form of his life, anything feels possible right now.
The France U21 international has been a revelation at Borussia Park and took his tally to four goals in five games over the weekend. There has been a pair assists in that run too with Thuram proving almost unstoppable in recent weeks.
The whole Newcastle United team have managed six league goals so far this season, the same amount that Thuram has contributed to in Germany.
The Magpies were linked with a move for the one-time Guingamp talisman via TEAMtalk and, according to SportBild, the powerful forward was available for as little as £7 million over the summer thanks to an affordable release clause in his contract - one that Gladbach were only too happy to trigger.
Instead, Newcastle splurged a club-record £40 million on Joelinton, a man who has managed one goal, six shots on target and looks increasingly peripheral as the weeks go by.
Steve Bruce can surely expect to see better from the Brazilian as he adapts to life in England but he has lacked any of Thuram’s energy, speed and ruthlessness so far. Only time will tell whether they should have banked on a man available for £33 million less.
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