ANOTHER rejection after £26m bid turned down

Newcastle have suffered another setback after seeing a €30m / £26m bid for a Germany international turned down, and what happens next has been revealed by a report.

It’s been a sobering summer thus far for Newcastle who aside from Anthony Elanga, have struggled to attract transfer targets to St James Park.

The Magpies possess a superb starting eleven, a highly regarded manager in Eddie Howe and for the second time in three seasons, can offer Champions League football.

Nevertheless, that has not been enough to convince any of James Trafford, Dean Huijsen, Joao Pedro, Mohammed Kudus, Bryan Mbeumo, Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitike or Benjamin Sesko.

All barring Sesko on that list have joined other clubs this summer. Sesko is expected to follow suit very shortly after agreeing personal terms with Manchester United. The Red Devils are now finalising a club-to-club agreement with RB Leipzig.

Unfortunately for Newcastle, the bad news keeps up coming by way of Gazzetta dello Sport.

Firstly, Fabrizio Romano revealed on Tuesday that Newcastle planned to make a move for AC Milan centre-back, Malick Thiaw

“Understand Newcastle are set to approach AC Milan for Malick Thiaw,” wrote Romano on X.

“Talks will follow as Thiaw is already an important player for Max Allegri after Como deal off in July. Newcastle will try to open discussions over price soon.”

GdS now state Newcastle have acted on their interest by placing a bid worth €30m / £26m. Per the report, the offer was turned down.

What happens next for Malick Thiaw

Thiaw, a three-cap Germany international, had come close to joining Serie A side Como earlier this window.

AC Milan had actually accepted a €25m bid, which is €5m lower than the offer GdS state Newcastle have just seen rejected.

Thiaw put the brakes on joining Como and per GdS, it’s Milan who are now blocking Thiaw’s exit.

New manager Max Allegri is high on the idea of retaining Thiaw and the Milan boss regularly features a back three.

As such, centre-back depth is of vital importance and the report stated a second Newcastle bid – which is being considered by the Magpies – is also expected to be rejected.

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A tough summer – Every player Newcastle have missed out on

By Samuel Bannister

Newcastle have endured a frustrating transfer window, missing out on several targets they’d have liked to sign.

“My wish was for us to do our business early and we certainly tried, but it wasn’t to be,” Eddie Howe admitted in July. “We’ve had a frustrating time in terms of losing targets to other clubs. I’d be very open with that.

“That’s happened on several occasions. You just have to accept it. In order for a transfer to really work, in my opinion, the player has to be desperate to come to your club. If we don’t get that, the transfer doesn’t work.”

So, who are the players who weren’t desperate to come to Newcastle?

Dean Huijsen – Newcastle were one of many clubs alerted to Huijsen after his impressive debut season in the Premier League with Bournemouth, but they had little chance of competing with Real Madrid once his heart was set on the £50m move to the Bernabeu.

“I wanted to be here from day one,” Huijsen said at his presentation. “Since Madrid called me, I didn’t have eyes for any other team… I arrive at the best club in the world.”

Liam Delap – Relegated from the Premier League with Ipswich Town, Delap became available via a £30m release clause. However, Chelsea won the race for his signature.

“You’ve just got to go with your gut and hopefully it works out,” Delap said of his decision. “There are so many factors that go into it: I’ve got a good relationship with the manager. I know how he plays. I’ve played in this system before.”

Matheus Cunha – Newcastle believed they held the advantage in the race for Cunha thanks to qualifying for the Champions League, but Europe-less Man Utd beat them to it. Available for his £62.5m release clause, Cunha opted for Old Trafford.

“Maybe outside, I think maybe my decision, they don’t understand,” the ex-Wolves forward said. “But when you have always dreamed to play here, it’s easier to pick this decision.”

Bryan Mbeumo – Mbeumo was a top target for Newcastle, even though they eventually became concerned he’d be too expensive. Like Cunha, he made a move to Man Utd instead, bringing an end to his successful spell with Brentford.

“From the start, I wanted to join this massive club,” the winger insisted after his move.

Joao Pedro – Newcastle made a bid for Pedro towards the end of June, worth around £50m, but Brighton rejected it. Chelsea then came in with a £60m package, which was accepted.

“I think Chelsea is a big club and my dream was always to play for a big club and to win trophies,” the forward explained. “Chelsea have a great team, a young team and I think that’s why I came here.”

Hugo Ekitike – A Newcastle target since their first transfer window under Saudi ownership, Ekitike came back onto the club’s radar this summer and they saw a club-record £70m offer fail.

Instead, Liverpool won the race for the Eintracht Frankfurt striker, who would have been an ideal replacement for Alexander Isak – who, adding insult to injury, has been the subject of Liverpool’s next approach for the attacking department.

“It’s the best team in England and one of the best teams in the world. So yeah, it was Liverpool,” Ekitike explained.

James Trafford – Identified as Newcastle’s ideal long-term goalkeeping target, Trafford was the subject of a £27m bid by the Magpies. However, Manchester City had matching rights as part of the agreement they made when selling him to Burnley originally.

City ultimately made their own move for Trafford, who preferred to remain in the north west and re-joined the club whose academy he came through.

“I always dreamed that one day I would be able to come back to Manchester City,” Trafford explained. “This is the place I call home – it’s a truly special football club with fantastic people who make it such a unique place to work and play.”

Benjamin Sesko – Newcastle were the first to bid in the battle with Man Utd for Sesko – in fact going in with a second offer – but after originally being open to both proposals, the striker’s preference for the Red Devils has started to filter through.

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