‘Exceptional’ World Cup star will need convincing before committing to Newcastle United move

Newcastle United are facing a battle to convince Borussia Monchengladbach star Marcus Thuram to move to Tyneside as speculation over his next move continues to dominate the headlines in Germany.

The France international earned a place in Les Bleus’ World Cup squad by scoring 13 goals and providing four assists for Borussia during the opening months of the Bundesliga season. His form prompted manager Daniel Farke to describe the striker as ‘an exceptional player of the highest international class’.

Speaking ahead of the World Cup, the former Norwich City manager said: “Marcus is in excellent shape. He has all the qualities to fill this position well. He’s still getting used to that central striker role. It’s still about running paths, but we’re working on that. (He is) an exceptional player of the highest international class.”

There is said to be significant interest in Thuram as he heads into the final six months of his current deal with the Bundesliga club. That would allow the forward to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with a club outside of Germany before making a free transfer move at the end of the season. Arsenal, Napoli, Inter Milan and Liverpool were all said to be interest in his services and Newcastle are believed to have discussed a possible move for the striker ahead of the January transfer window.

However, German outlet FussballTransfers.com have suggested Thuram will not ‘give Newcastle his promise prematurely’ because the Magpies ‘have far from completed the transformation process into a top club’. The report also states the forward is not basing his next move on money and that is why other clubs are ‘more attractive to him’.

There was one bit of a good news for Thuram’s suitors after reports of a bid from Bayern Munich were dismissed, with the reigning Bundesliga champions said to have ‘postponed’ their interest for the time being.