Newcastle United edge closer to £25m move for ex-Chelsea star as ‘growing feeling’ claim emerges

Newcastle United are believed to be closing in on an ambitious £25m move for five-time England international Fikayo Tomori.

Eddie Howe remains firmly focused on enhancing his defensive options after the well documented pursuit of Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi and former Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo in the summer.

Newcastle’s defensive frailties have been a cause for concern in recent months following long-term injuries to Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles and most recently Emil Krafth.

Summer signing Lloyd Kelly has provided cover for Howe’s preferred pairing of Dan Burn and Fabian Schar, but there is a growing feeling from Newcastle’s recruitment team that the group will need further solidity in that area if they are to mount a genuine Champions League push.

Tomori is a player that is believed to fit the bill for Newcastle due to his excellent speed, defensive awareness, leadership and experience at nullifying some of Europe’s most potent strikers.

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The Chelsea academy graduate, who first made a real name for himself during a loan spell at Derby County, played 44 times for Frank Lampard during his time at Pride Park, before becoming an important squad player for the Chelsea icon in his first year as manager at Stamford Bridge.

Tomori was sent out on loan to AC Milan in January 2021 and quickly established himself as an important player at the San Siro by making 17 appearances in six months while also becoming the first Englishmen since David Beckham to find the net for the Italian outfit.

The England international’s move to Milan was made permanent the following summer - and in his first campaign in Serie A he helped guide the Rossoneri to their first league title in more than 10 years, while forming part of a back line which conceded a league-best 31 goals in the entire 38-game campaign.

Tomori formed part of the AC Milan team which reached a Champions League final in the 2022/23 season and was also a near ever present in the team which finished runners-up in the league last term.

He was hugely impressive against Newcastle in both group stage games of last season’s Champions League and has reportedly been on the club’s radar ever since.

Tomori is under contract until the summer of 2027, but according to CalcioMercato faces an uncertain future at the San Siro as new manager Paulo Fonseca aims to make his mark on the team after arriving in the summer.

The outlet sensationally claims that Tomori could be available for a cut-price fee of just £25m in January, which would put him well within the price range of Newcastle along with a host of other interested parties such as Aston Villa and West Ham United.