Defender Malick Thiaw closing in on Newcastle switch
Thiaw has made 85 appearances for the Serie A club, which he joined from Schalke in August 2022, one of them in a 0-0 Champions League draw with the Magpies at the San Siro in September 2023.
Should the deal go through, Thiaw will be head coach Eddie Howe's third senior recruit of a difficult summer following the £55million capture of Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga and a loan move for Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Thiaw's arrival would strengthen a central defensive pool which currently includes Sven Botman, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Jamaal Lascelles.
It would also provide a measure of respite for Howe, who is having to contend with the ongoing search for new recruits while dealing with the situation surrounding want-away striker Alexander Isak.
Newcastle open their Premier League campaign at Aston Villa on Saturday having won none of their pre-season fixtures and with their transfer mission far from complete.
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Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Chelsea interested in signing second Man Utd star after Alejandro Garnacho
Chelsea are interested in signing a second Manchester United star after Alejandro Garnacho, according to reports. Garnacho has already given the green light to a summer move to Stamford Bridge but Chelsea are yet to agree terms with their Premier League rivals. United are holding out for £50m for the Argentina international but Chelsea are reluctant to meet that price given Garnacho is in Ruben Amorim's 'bomb squad'. Not too long ago Garnacho was viewed as one of the most highly-rated players at Old Trafford but his career has stagnated. Amorim has instructed his bosses to offload the winger and was unhappy with comments Garnacho and his brother made following the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham. In The Mixer: Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every week – sign up, it's an open goal. Garnacho was subsequently left out of United's pre-season tour of the States and has been training away from his teammates ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. Keen to remain in the Premier League and play for a Champions League club, Garnacho has already agreed personal terms in principle with Chelsea but is waiting for an agreement to be struck between the clubs. Chelsea are pursuing Garnacho despite already spending around £250m on new signings this summer. The Blues are also working on a deal for RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons and remain interested in Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. Chelsea have been repeatedly linked with a move for the England international over the past 12 months and The Sun say they are still 'waiting with open arms'. While not actively looking to sell Mainoo, United are struggling to tie the 20-year-old down to a new long-term contract. Mainoo enjoyed a breakout season at Old Trafford in 2023-24, earning a place in England's Euro 2024 squad and starting the final against Spain. But he was less influential last season and it has been suggested he could struggle for game-time in Amorim's system given the club's summer business. In an exclusive interview with Metro, ex-Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel urged his former club to poach both Mainoo and Garnacho from Manchester United. 'I like both of these players,' he said. 'I have no idea what the issue is with Garnacho and Ruben Amorim because for me he is one of the best players at United. 'The squad is what it is, and you want to get rid of Garnacho. Really? I can't see the sense in that because every time he plays he is a threat. 'The issue is probably the defensive side of his game but that is something you have to work with a young player on. To change their mentality to make sure their defensive responsibilities are taken seriously. 'With Kobbie Mainoo, maybe they feel they need to cash in on him to raise the funds. Maybe he did not have the season we all expected from him last season, he looked a shadow of the player he was when he first burst onto the scene. 'Again, I have no idea what the issue has been. The system, the manager? Is he not happy with the environment at the football club? 'There are so many factors you have to look at right now with Manchester United. If those are two players Chelsea want, I will take those two, definitely. 'They can only come in and improve us as a football club. I know if they come in, they will improve us as a team.' Manchester United legend Gary Neville, meanwhile, believes it is imperative that the Red Devils keep hold of Mainoo and 'build a team' around the youngster. 'Mainoo, no. That's a step too far,' the eight-time Premier League winner argued. 'If we can't give Kobbie Mainoo a job in that two in midfield… I look at Mainoo and the way he plays football and I think a top club would want him. More Trending 'Why can't we make him a top player? If he's one of ours and he's shown talent. I don't know what's gone on there in the last few months. 'He's obviously had some injuries which has caused him a problem so he needs to stay fit, but I'd like to think he could be one of that two in midfield that Ruben Amorim plays. 'It's probably not Casemiro as his partner and it's probably not Ugarte as his partner, it's probably someone else in there who is better than those two, if I'm being honest. 'But we should be building around Kobbie Mainoo in central midfield and not because he's come through the ranks.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Brighton respond to Man Utd's player-plus-cash offer for Carlos Baleba MORE: PSG set transfer fee for Man Utd to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma MORE: Man City tell Tottenham how much it will cost them to sign 'incredible' winger
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
How 'miserable' Premier League ace convinced Scotland star Hanley to sign for Hibs
Former Newcastle team-mates united on allure of Easter Road Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... As Grant Hanley was being love bombed by friends and former team-mates telling him how much fun he'd have as a Hibs player, the veteran Scotland international decided to balance out the words of high praise by touching base with an old pal he mischievously refers to as 'miserable.' Surely this reliable agent of doom and gloom would give him the straight dope. So, when even Dwight Gayle started enthusing about the glorious Easter Road swansong he enjoyed in his final year as a professional footballer? That pretty much clinched it for former Newcastle and Norwich centre-half Hanley. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lured in by the chance to experience European football for the first time in a career that includes captaining a team in the Premier League, Hanley admits to being massively impressed by the atmosphere as he attended the Midtjylland game – a heart-breaking 2-1 extra time loss in the Europa League – as a guest of former Scotland team-mate David Marshall, now right-hand man to Hibs sporting director Malky Mackay. Between that and the personal references, the 33-year-old didn't take much convincing to sign a two-year deal for David Gray's men. 'Obviously the lads I'd played with,' he said, when asked who he'd contacted for advice before agreeing to a first taste of senior football in Scotland, the Dumfries-born defender adding: 'Big Marsh, played with Marsh in Scotland for a number of years. 'Dwight as well. Kept in touch with Dwight since we played together at Newcastle. Those were the lads I'd spoken to 'There were more as well, lads that had played down south and then come back up the road. Just to get a feel for what their experience was like and how they felt. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Former team-mate provided glowing recommendation 'Dwight's a great lad, a top, top lad. Like I said, somebody that I've kept in touch with. It was quite good actually to get his opinion because everybody I spoke to was like, it's amazing you've got to do it, it's a no-brainer, go for it. 'Dwight's actually quite miserable so I thought he'd balance it out. But again, he was the same. Amazing. If Dwight says it's good, then it's normally good. 'The club speaks for itself, I knew exactly what the club was all about. The size of the club, the stadium, the fans, the atmosphere. 'An opportunity to play some European football and I think the direction the club is going speaks for itself. Coming up and meeting everybody, meeting the manager, meeting the staff, meeting Malky, meeting big Marsh and Ian Gordon to get a real feel of how good the people are in and around the club was massive for me. As soon as I did that, the decision was made. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad European atmosphere a selling point 'It was good to see the atmosphere of the stadium on a European night. There's not an awful lot I can say on that; it was impressive. 'As soon as you spend five minutes in the dressing room, you can see how close this group is. I've known lads that have played here over the last year or two so I reached out to them when I knew this could be an option. 'From their point of view, having this opportunity was a no-brainer. You want to be part of teams and groups of lads that are going in that direction. 'And I've never played in Europe. So the opportunity to play in Europe was one of the major factors in the decision making.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad An unused sub in Belgrade as Hibs ran out surprise 2-0 winners over Partizan, Hanley was given just shy of an hour in yesterday's 2-2 home draw with Kilmarnock. He's hoping to get more game time on Thursday night, as the Serbs look to overturn that first-leg deficit in the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round. Premier League captaincy a dream Hanley, who has played all over Europe with Scotland in amassing 62 caps, would obviously love to bag a debut in UEFA club competition, pointing out: 'It is obviously different but it's good to have that wee bit of experience there. I've played all over Europe and in tournaments to get a wee bit of insight into what it's going to be like and what to expect. 'One of the big factors in making that decision to come here was because of Europe. Another experience, another challenge that I'm really looking forward to. Hanley made his debut against Kilmarnock 'I think as your career is going on you never really look too far ahead because you don't know what can happen. Football can change for better or for worse really quickly. You're probably just looking at the next training session, next game rather than where you want to go and play next. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Obviously, I'm really grateful to have the opportunities that I've had and the experience I've had in England. Playing in the Premier League, as a boy playing football that's your dream, that's what you want to play. 'So I've had the opportunity to play in the Premier League, captain a team in the Premier League. Things that I'll be forever grateful for.' Still short of match fitness, by his own admission, Hanley is aware that manager Gray wanted him for his leadership skills as much as his footballing ability. Gayle has been mentioned more than once as an example to follow. Explaining how he would be filling that role, Hanley said: 'I wouldn't say I'm screaming and shouting. I've learnt as my career's gone, the more you can stay level when things are going good or bad is normally the best way to play it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Probably just a bit of consistency in how I go about my work every day and how I apply myself and my attitude towards training and games. I would say along those lines, bits of experience that I can pass on here and there can always help I suppose. I'm 33 and I've played a reasonable number of games so I'm guessing that was part of the thinking. 'I think throughout my career I've always felt when I've had a period not playing, it maybe takes three, four or five games to really get up to speed. It's a tricky situation because I'm coming in not having a real pre-season. 'The way the fixtures are at the minute and how busy we're going to be, there's not any real big proper training sessions or training weeks where you can really get some work in. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I'm happy to be thrown in. The sports science team, the physios and the coaching staff know everything I've done. 'But there's a difference between being fit and being match fit. Even just silly things like your distances, your angles, your timing and other things like that. That's something that comes back over time. So we'll see how it goes and hopefully the more I can integrate into training and find my feet amongst the group and get some more minutes on the pitch, hopefully that will all help.'
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Grant Hanley reveals 'miserable' ex Hibs star sold him on Easter Road transfer
The Scotland defender signed a two-year deal last week and made his debut in the 2-2 draw with Kilmarnock Grant Hanley knew signing for Hibs was the right move when 'miserable' Dwight Gayle spoke so highly of the club. The Scotland defender signed a two-year deal last week and made his debut in Sunday's frustrating 2-2 draw with Kilmarnock. Hanley, 33, did his homework on the Leith outfit before putting pen to paper by chatting to former Newcastle team-mate Gayle and one-time national team colleague David Marshall – now Hibs' technical performance manager – about Easter Road. And he joked that he knew he was on to a good thing when Gayle, who retired at the end of last season following an enjoyable season at the capital club, admitted he loved his time in Edinburgh. Hanley said: 'I've known lads that have played here over the last year or two so I reached out to them when I knew this could be an option. 'From their point of view, having this opportunity was a no-brainer. You can see how close that dressing room is and that's what you want as a player. 'You want to be part of teams and groups of lads that are going in that direction. Obviously I played with big Marsh in Scotland for a number of years, Dwight as well. I've kept in touch with Dwight since we played together at Newcastle. 'Those were lads I'd spoken to and there were more as well, lads that had played down south and then come back up the road, just to get a feel for what their experience was like and how they felt. 'Dwight's a great lad, a top, top lad and it was quite good actually to get his opinion because everybody I spoke to was like, 'it's amazing you've got to do it, it's a no-brainer, go for it'. 'Dwight's actually quite miserable so I thought he'd balance it out. 'But again, he was the same, 'amazing'. If Dwight says it's good, then it's normally good.' Even for a 62-times-capped centre-back who's played all over Europe and in the last two Euros for Scotland, the lure of club continental football was huge. Hanley was on the bench as Hibs beat Partizan Belgrade 2-0 in last Thursday's Conference League third qualifying round first leg and would love to be involved in the return clash on Thursday night. He said: 'It's massive, I've never played in Europe so the opportunity to play in Europe was one of the major factors in the decision-making. 'I've played all over Europe and in tournaments to get a wee bit of insight into what it's going to be like and what to expect. 'I was at the Midtjylland game and it was good to see the atmosphere of the stadium on a European night like that. It was impressive. 'The club speaks for itself, I knew exactly what the club was all about – the size of the club, the stadium, the fans, the atmosphere.' Hanley's last competitive outing before the weekend came last May on loan at Birmingham and the former Norwich and Blackburn player hopes it will not take him long to get up to speed after lasting an hour against Killie. He added: 'I think throughout my career I've always felt when I've had a period not playing, it maybe takes three, four or five games to really get up to speed. 'It's a tricky situation because I'm coming in not having a real pre-season but I've been training at Norwich with the 23s. 'The way the fixtures are at the minute and how busy we're going to be, there's not any real big proper training sessions or training weeks where you can really get some work in. I'm happy to be thrown in.'
