Bruno Guimaraes on Newcastle United ‘future’ as £35m man continues to impress
Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman are showing positive signs of forming a solid partnership at Newcastle United.
Bruno Guimaraes has called Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman the “future” of Newcastle United’s backline.
Thiaw could not have asked for a better start to life at St James’ Park. As is usually the case, Eddie Howe allowed the new arrival time to adjust to his new surroundings.
The German only joined Newcastle in August and did not play a pre-season fixture for his new club. Dan Burn and Fabian Schar - who both turn 34 this season - started the campaign at centre-back.
Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman partnership
However, Thiaw and Botman have started the last five games together at the heart of Newcastle’s defence. Ironically, the duo - as well as Sandro Tonali in front of them - could have lined up for AC Milan in a parallel universe.
The Magpies signed Thiaw and Tonali from the Italian giants, with Botman rivalling them for his signature in 2022. Newcastle’s new centre-back pairing have received praise in recent weeks and, at 24 and 25, could be showing the first signs of a fruitful long-term partnership.
‘The future’ - Bruno Guimaraes on Malick Thiaw
Speaking after the win over Nottingham Forest, Guimaraes hailed Thiaw’s arrival and backed him to strike gold alongside Botman in defence. He said: “What a player. He surprised me a lot. Very good with and without the ball as well. So quick, smart, breaking lines.
“Him and Sven are the future of this club. They're very good. They're very comfortable with the ball and don't feel the pressure. They have been amazing together.”
Eddie Howe on Malick Thiaw
Howe has also praised Thiaw’s immediate impact on Tyneside. He said last week: "Malick has come in and the biggest compliment I can pay him is that he's settled in really quickly.
"He looks at home with his teammates. He's been excellent in training. He and Sven are building a good relationship."