Newcastle have been dealt a blow as Chelsea opened talks to sign Marcus Thuram from Borussia Monchengladbach.
What’s the story?
Well, it was said that Eddie Howe told his bosses to bring the France international to Tyneside, with the Magpies preparing a £9m bid after that order – according to Calciomercato.
Now, however, Newcastle could end up losing out to Chelsea.
Fabrizio Romano – one of the most reliable journalists around – revealed earlier today that the Blues have now opened talks to sign Thuram.
The Frenchman – son of Lillian Thuram – sees his contract expire at the end of the season, and there has been plenty of interest as he finds himself second in the Bundesliga goalscoring charts.
Thuram has scored ten goals in just 15 Bundesliga appearances so far this term, while also providing three assists.
Romano adds that the 25-year-old will take his time and consider all options.
Those other options reportedly include Manchester United, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Tottenham, who have all expressed an interest in signing Thuram – according to 90min.
Newcastle will sweat over Chelsea interest
As impressive as Newcastle have been this season, Chelsea are able to offer Thuram the chance to play in the knockout stages of the Champions League this term.
The Blues are also based in London, which has often been a decisive factor for players weighing up their options.
One saving grace for Newcastle is that they can now match the wages Chelsea and other elite sides can provide, so it is not an entirely hopeless situation after the Blues opened talks.
They are also actually in a better position to qualify for next season’s Champions League than Chelsea are, with the west Londoners currently tenth in the Premier League.
However, Newcastle’s pursuit of Thuram has undoubtedly become more difficult now, so be sure to keep an eye on the situation to see what happens.
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