Malick Thiaw established himself as one of Newcastle United’s most reliable players during a difficult 2025-26 campaign, starting 51 matches and forcing his way back into the Germany squad for the World Cup after a two-year absence.
Now, German outlet Sport Bild, per Bulinews, is reporting that the center-back had an opportunity to return to the Bundesliga during the summer but rejected an approach from Bayer Leverkusen in favor of remaining at Newcastle.
“Bayer Leverkusen then did make approaches
for German internationals Angelo Stiller and Newcastle United’s Malick Thiaw, only for both players to turn them down,” the report says.
Leverkusen was reportedly attempting to increase the number of German leaders within its squad and identified Thiaw as one of several potential additions. The defender had previously played in the Bundesliga with Schalke before joining AC Milan in 2022.
Newcastle signed Thiaw from Milan in August 2025 for a guaranteed £30 million, with another £4.3 million potentially due through add-ons. The 25-year-old quickly became a major part of Newcastle’s defense, appearing in 54 of the club’s 58 matches across all competitions last season.
All of that said, there is no suggestion Newcastle was even looking to sell Thiaw during the summer, and on top of that, the report instead indicates the defender himself rejected the possibility of returning to Germany when Leverkusen made its approach.
How important was keeping Thiaw after Newcastle’s major summer squad changes and given Sven Botman’s current struggles? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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