Newcastle in pole position to sign £25m ace who could be the new Hall

Newcastle United have clicked. Eddie Howe has cut a frustrated figure at times this season, understandably frustrated by his squad’s up-and-down form.

But recent results have reminded Tyneside of the heady quality within this team, so powerful in attack, so oiled in midfield, so sturdy at the rear. Newcastle are into the Carabao Cup semi-final and lurk behind Nottingham Forest, fourth in the Premier League, by five points.

It’s remarkable that the Magpies are capable of producing the football that they do when considering the rueful nature of the summer transfer window, with key targets missed on the wing and in central defence.

At the back in particular, United have been a little light this term, with Sven Botman yet to feature as he recovers from an ACL injury and Jamal Lascelles and Emil Krafth also sidelined long term.

Newcastle are riding a nice stream of form at the moment, but Howe will know that an arrival or two could really hold sway in the coming months when the business end heightens the drama.

Newcastle eyeing January transfer

As per TEAMtalk, Newcastle have been put on red alert after Fikayo Tomori revealed internally that he is open to leaving Serie A side AC Milan in 2025.

The Magpies are seen as ‘long-term admirers of the defender’ and are allegedly the favourites to sign him over any Premier League club.

Tomori has been a mainstay for the Rossoneri over the past several years but fancies a change of scenery. He’s contracted until 2027 so won’t go cheap, with his employers looking for a fee in excess of £25m.

The 27-year-old would ideally want to return to his homeland, and while he would have no shortage of suitors, Newcastle might feel that their finances and need for a new defender could tempt him to sign and play an important part.

What Fikayo Tomori would bring to Newcastle

Tomori has completed 157 appearances for AC Milan, scoring seven goals and lifting the 2020/21 Serie A title. Milan CEO Ivan Gazidis has described the player as “extraordinary,” crediting him as “one of the pillars of this team.”

However, he’s fallen out of favour under Paulo Fonseca this term, making just three substitute appearances in Serie A since October 9th, albeit featuring prominently throughout his side’s Champions League campaign.

His career on Italian soil has stalled after leaving Stamford Bridge for the bustling city of Milano in June 2021 for about £30m. Now would be the perfect time to try his hand elsewhere, with a steely defensive skillset and sharp ball-playing game making him the perfect type of player for Premier League football.

The £71k-per-week titan is a dependable robust player who is absolutely masterful in the challenge when at his best. In 2021/22, when Milan clinched the Scudetto, he came out on top in an incredible 76% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

One of the finest defensive distributors around, Tomori ranks among the top 7% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 16% for passes attempted per 90, as per FBref, with his ball-playing skills even leading the statistical site to draw Arsenal’s William Saliba as one of his most comparable players.

But it’s the Chelsea connection that might prove the biggest temptation for a Newcastle side reaping the rewards of Cobham academy’s bloatedness this season.

Indeed, Lewis Hall is thriving at St. James’ Park after formerly rising through the youth ranks at Chelsea, and Tomori could be the next one to make the move, albeit in differing circumstances.

Why Tomori could be Lewis Hall 2.0

Hall is the cream of Newcastle’s youthful crop right now, but Tino Livramento deserves a mention too. The right-back has displaced Kieran Trippier and is another Cobham graduate to now ply their art on Tyneside.

Tomori might be a bit older than the wide defenders but with age comes experience and he could be a brilliant future partner for someone like Botman, who is expected to return to fitness after his lengthy absence in the next few weeks.

Chelsea’s academy is renowned, and there’s a general sense of frustration in west London concerning the decision to ship Tomori off. He has of course found success in the years since, but if Hall’s efforts this season are anything to go by, it might be worth the investment for yet another one-time Blue.

Indeed, If you look at Hall’s performances in the Premier League this season when compared to Chelsea’s first-choice Marc Cucurella, who has been acknowledged as one of the division’s finest this year, it’s clear that Newcastle have secured a blinder with the versatile ace.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed Hall as “one of the best left-back’s in the Premier League” after his emphatic start to the season, taking the roots of his maiden campaign in black and white and now producing results that will make rivals watch on in envy.

All things considered, Tomori would be a brilliant addition to Howe’s Newcastle system, boasting a track record of fierce defending and slick passing that suggests that he would dovetail right into Toon life.

Newcastle have the money to spend after placating Premier League profit and sustainability problems throughout the summer and failing to convince Crystal Palace to part with Marc Guehi, despite tabling a series of offers reaching sums of £65m.

Both Lascelles and Fabian Schar are out of contract at the end of the current campaign, so a January transfer for a talent such as Tomori would be the perfect way to improve Newcastle’s first team and build some fluency before a summer of anticipated change.