Malick Thiaw: Position, transfer fee, style of play, stats and more

Newcastle United are being hotly-tipped to sign AC Milan centre-back Malick Thiaw after the defender fell down the pecking order at the Italian giants.

The Magpies have been busy in the transfer market, signing Lloyd Kelly and Odysseas Vlachodimos from Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest respectively, but Eddie Howe is hoping for more reinforcements to help them return to European football.

Both Matt Ritchie and Paul Dummett have been released and, after a season that was heavily hampered by injuries, more defensive options will be seen as a necessity for Howe and Thiaw has been identified as a key target.

Here is everything you need to know about Newcastle United's potential new signing, Malick Thiaw.

Malick Thiaw age, nationality and background

Malik Laye Thiaw is 22 years of age and was born on 8th August 2001.

Thiaw was born in Dusseldorf, Germany to a Senegalese father and Finnish mother and holds both German and Finnish passports, although he has only ever represented the former at youth and senior international level.

Malick Thiaw transfer fee and contract

Transfer fee

Talks are still believed to be at an early stage but reports suggest Newcastle will need to pay around £35m to sign him.

Contract and salary

Thiaw signed a five-year contract when he joined Milan and a similar length of deal would be likely were he to head to Tyneside. The Magpies would also, at the very least, need to match his reported £55,000-a-week wages.

What to expect from Malick Thiaw

Height and build

Thiaw stands at 6ft 3ins and, while his 79kg weight leaves him on the slender side, he is blessed with plenty of pace and power.

Preferred foot

Newcastle's hopeful new signing is right-footed and has the flexibility to play in both defence and step into midfield.

Style of play

Thiaw's pace benefits him particularly in one-on-one situations and he has previously excelled against the likes of Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland when the trio were at Borussia Dortmund.

However, his most impressive trait is his ability to read the game and play out from the back, with the German producing a 92 per cent pass completion rate in last season's Serie A.

He also placed high in both tackles made and successful take-ons, showing both his defensive and attacking capabilities. There are, though, weaknesses to his game, with Thiaw struggling in both the interceptions and aerial battles won charts compared to other centre-backs. 

However, should he be paired with someone like Sven Botman in defence, it is likely that these weak points would be covered by the talented Dutchman.

Similar players to Malick Thiaw

• Warmed Omari (Rennes)

• Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)

• Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)

Career so far

Previous clubs

Thiaw spent time in several youth academies, representing no fewer than five different clubs - TV Kalkum-Wittlaer, Fortuna Dusseldorf, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke - before making his professional debut.

It was in Gelsenkirchen that Thiaw eventually broke into senior football. Between 2020 and 2022, he made 61 appearances for Schalke across all competitions, finding the net on three occasions between the top two German divisions.

The defender made a €5m move to AC Milan in 2022 and, after struggling to break into the Rossoneri side, became a regular starter after a man of the match performance against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League.

He became the preferred centre-back partner to former Chelsea star Fikayo Tomori for the first half of last season, but an injury in February saw the German miss eight weeks of football allowing Pierre Kalulu to claim the starting berth.

International caps

Thiaw has made just three international appearances for Germany since debuting for his country in 2023 and missed out on representing Die Mannschaft at the Euros, with Robin Koch and Nico Schlotterbeck preferred.

What he could bring to Newcastle United

Despite being 22, Thiaw already has a wealth of experience at the highest level, having played in the Champions League for Milan and helped the Rossoneri challenge for the Serie A title.

This experience will undoubtedly benefit Newcastle as they look to return to continental football after a disappointing campaign. However, the biggest benefit of signing Thiaw will be the defensive depth he would provide.

Newcastle had 20 players in the treatment room at one point last season, forcing Howe to rely on several youngsters, including midfielder Lewis Miley, who starred in his breakout season.

Botman, Fabian Schar, Tino Livramento and Dan Burn all had spells on the sidelines, making defensive reinforcements vital for the Magpies.