Newcastle United ‘still waiting’ for transfer decision on player Allan Saint-Maximin loves

Newcastle United are said to be one of several clubs awaiting news on the future of Borussia Monchengladbach star Marcus Thuram.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a largely positive four-year stay with the Bundesliga club but is set to become one of European football’s most attractive free agents when his current deal comes to an end this summer. Despite holding talks of an extension earlier this season, Gladbach sporting director Roland Virkus has confirmed Thuram will leave the club at the end of the campaign.

Speaking in February, he told German broadcaster, Sport1: “We’ve decided to allow Thuram to leave. We have to accept that in light of all the bigger clubs where he could make the move to. The fact that he plans to leave on a free transfer is not a positive situation, and I can’t sugarcoat it.”

A recent report in Italian media outlet CalcioMercato has now claimed Milan rivals Inter and AC view Thuram as one of the ‘great possibilities’ for a free transfer move this summer and revealed Inter have already made a ‘concrete’ move to sign the forward in January. However, the report also states both clubs face severe competition to sign the former Guingamp star.

A move to Tyneside is said to be ‘always tempting’ for the France international, with the same description given to possible moves with Chelsea, Aston Villa, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid. However, a decision over Thuram’s next move is yet to be made as he focuses his attention on returning to full fitness and helping Monchengladbach in the final stages of a challenging season in the Bundesliga.

The forward suffered an adductor strain in his side’s 1-0 home defeat against Champions League contenders Union Berlin last weekend and is not set to return to fitness until they host Freiburg in two weeks time.

Newcastle star Allan Saint-Maximin said in January he hopes close friends Thuram can join him at St James’ Park.

He said: He is a great player and I hope we have a chance to take him here. I was so happy for him [to play at the World Cup].”