Newcastle United’s search for an experienced center-back appears to be gathering momentum.
The Magpies have focused much of their summer recruitment on landing younger players, but Eddie Howe seems to still be looking to add proven experience to his back line before the transfer window closes.
According to MilanNews24, Newcastle is edging closer to AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori, and the Magpies have taken a significant step by submitting an opening €15 million bid for the England international after
making initial contact earlier this week.
“Newcastle have made a concrete move for Fikayo Tomori, presenting AC Milan with an initial offer of €15 million for the English defender,” the report says. “The offer demonstrates the Premier League club’s interest, as they seek to strengthen their defence ahead of the new season.
“AC Milan management is carefully evaluating the offer from England, even though they currently believe it is lower than their financial expectations. AC Milan, in fact, have no intention of selling the centre-back and continue to value him at €20 million, including bonuses, a figure considered appropriate to let the player leave.”
As the report makes clear, Milan isn’t willing to sell for a figure below their valuation of Tomori, and they could ask Newcastle to improve its bid during the next few hours or days. That said, given the small €5 million gap, it’s fair to assume there shouldn’t be much trouble in finding an agreement if Newcastle is truly interested in landing Tomori.
Making this more promising for the Magpies, it’s been reported that Tomori is ready to leave San Siro after slipping down the pecking order, and MilanNews24 claims agreeing personal terms with Newcastle is unlikely to be an issue if the clubs reach an agreement.
The latest update aligns with a report from Calciomercato, which also state Newcastle is preparing a formal move while Milan values the former Chelsea defender at around €20 million. Goal.com echoed both reports, indicating negotiations are ongoing and describes the difference between the clubs’ positions as “roughly €5m,” suggesting a compromise remains very feasible.
Tomori has made more than 200 appearances for Milan since arriving from Chelsea in 2021, helping the Italian club win the Serie A title and reach the UEFA Champions League semifinals.
At 28, he would bring both Premier League and European experience to a Newcastle defense that might benefit from some veteran voices and presence during the upcoming season.
