Newcastle United in ‘pole position’ to sign free agent Allan Saint-Maximin loves

Newcastle United are reportedly leading the race to sign Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram as he enters the final stages of his current contract with the Bundesliga club.

Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport have claimed Inter have already made a significant offer for the Parma-born forward that is said to be a ‘multi-year contract worth €5m plus bonuses per season’. That offer is believed to have been put to Thuram and his agents during the World Cup Finals as the 25-year-old helped France reach the final but was unable to help Les Bleus retain their title as world champions after they suffered a dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat against Argentina.

However, the report states Newcastle are ‘in pole position’ to reunite Thuram with lifelong friend Allan Saint-Maximin and are preparing an offer to tempt the forward to move to Tyneside on a free transfer at the end of the season. Significantly, there is a suggestion nine-times capped France international has informed interested parties he will make a final decision on his next move in April.

Despite the constant speculation over his future, Thuram has continued to impress for Monchengladbach, scoring 15 goals and providing four assists in 26 appearances in all competitions as Die Fohlen have endured something of a mixed campaign in the Bundesliga and German Cup. The forward scored in a 2-2 home draw with Werder Bremen last weekend that left his side in mid-table and was unable to prevent them falling to a shock DFB-Pokal second round defeat against second tier outfit SV Darmstadt 98 earlier this season.

With his contract now entering its final months, one key figure at Monchengladbach gave a significant update on Thuram’s future last month as the likes of Newcastle, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester United were all linked with a summer move for his services.

Sporting director Roland Virkus told Sport 1: “We’ve decided to allow Thuram to leave. The fact he will leave on a free is not a positive situation. I can’t sugarcoat it. We have to accept that there are bigger clubs he might move to.”