Newcastle are opening talks to sign a second midfielder

Newcastle United are preparing a formal offer to sign Johan Manzambi from Freiburg and bring him to St. James’ Park.

Eddie Howe and the Magpies recruitment team have been six and seven in the past 13 months, unable to step up and maintain the level expected in the transfer market.

It disrupted Newcastle’s 2024/25 campaign, sending them mid-table.

Howe believes Manzambi could be a game changer, and he better be right, with Sandro Tonali set to complete a £100m move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Newcastle are in talks to sign a new midfielder

Tonali’s story didn’t go down well in Newcastle’s appeal, but the result wasn’t too surprising. Whether the Magpies are capable of successfully reinvesting nine figures is another question entirely, and one that Howe must prove he has the answer to.

Manzambi, 20, has been asked to do big things, and in reality, he could be a game-changer, but he is still young and inexperienced. Newcastle need to add proven quality in midfield, and technical director Ross Wilson has found the perfect player to do it.

According to reports in Italy, Newcastle are among a long list of Premier League clubs who have made contact with Juventus star Khephren Thuram over a summer move.

Although negotiations are still exploratory at the moment, the Magpies have learned that a bid of €50m (£42m) could be accepted, with Juve keen to cash in.

Liverpool, Nottingham Forest are all interested, and while there is also the Turkish Super Lig, the French midfielder is not sold that way.

Why Thuram can be another Manzambi of Newcastle

Thuram is 25 years old, and has developed into a top-class Serie A midfielder, someone whose combination of physicality, athleticism and technical ability could see him make a real impact in Newcastle’s emerging side.

During his time at OGC Nice, Thuram was described as a “one-man army in midfield” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and has deepened his skills since then, now a mainstay in a Juventus side that benefited from his wide arsenal, ranking among the best passers and dribblers in Italian football last season.

The World Cup has taken the general attention away from the transfer market, but Newcastle have yet to ensure they make the necessary changes to return to the top flight. Thuram can help them achieve this.

Like Tonali before him, he would come from Serie A with the weight of expectation, a more rounded approach than someone like Manzambi, who was very successful in Freiburg and Switzerland last year, but has yet to show the kind of consistency needed for a team like Newcastle to thrive in the Premier League, with such expectations in every game.

Of course, it would be nice to get both midfielders this summer, but Thuram could provide the Manzambi-like quality that Howe aims to fuel his system with.

Physically and with an eye for passing, Thuram is the perfect profile for this side, and Newcastle won’t regret it if they beat off competition from the likes of Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain to secure his services.

Manzambi could sign for top-flight side Newcastle this summer, but he is too young to make a marquee appearance. A lot needs to change on Tyneside, and by signing Thuram, Howe will get a midfielder with the experience needed to return to old Premier League ground – and Europe too.