Report: Newcastle set sights on towering £13m midfield talent likened to Aurelien Tchouameni

By Giuseppe Labellarte

Newcastle United are reportedly looking to bolster their midfield ranks in the January transfer window.

As per the Northern Echo, there has been a ‘slight recalibration of transfer priorities’ at St James’ Park.

Jonjo Shelvey, whose deal expires in the summer, will trigger a one-year extension if he starts two more matches.

However, he is nursing a calf injury that will sideline him for up to eight weeks.

The Northern Echo speculates that Newcastle could opt to allow him to leave in the summer.

The outlet has linked the Magpies with Youri Tielemans and James Maddison, before adding a new name in the mix.

Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram is believed to be on Eddie Howe’s radar too.

Newcastle target Thuram – factfile

The 21-year-old came through the ranks at Monaco before joining Nice in 2019 on a free transfer.

Thuram has become a key player for the Ligue 1 club, registering 114 appearances.

Get French Football News has described him as a ‘dynamic and direct deep-lying midfielder, who could also play as an outright sentinel’.

A different GFFN article compared the 6ft 4in ace to Real Madrid and France star Aurelien Tchouameni.

‘In many ways, Thuram isn’t so dissimilar to former Monaco midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni,’ they wrote.

‘Like Tchouaméni, who joined Real Madrid this summer, Thuram lies somewhere between a number six and a number eight.

‘However, the Nice man’s development hasn’t perhaps been as linear or as tranquil as that of his compatriot, who has settled quickly in Madrid and become a consistent part of Didier Deschamps’ France squad.

‘Tchouaméni played in a settled system alongside a regular partner in Youssouf Fofana at Monaco, but there are lots more moving parts to Thuram’s development and he will have to find his place in Nice’s new-look midfield this season.’

Meanwhile, Scouted FTBL says Thuram is an ‘aesthetically pleasing footballer’ who ‘glides across the field and oozes confidence’.

L’Equipe – via GFFN – have suggested that Thuram has a €15m (£13m) price tag, which was set last summer.

A good fit for Newcastle – TBR View

Newcastle have gone about their transfer business in the best possible way.

They’ve made it clear they won’t be pursuing big-money marquee signings and paying huge premiums on players.

With that in mind, Thuram seems like a good shout for Newcastle.

He’s a young player with great potential, who has been proving himself at Ligue 1 level, and reportedly boasts a modest price tag.

While Thuram is far from the finished product, Newcastle aren’t in any major rush to win things, so they can develop him alongside the team itself.