Newcastle now readying move to sign the “complete player”

Newcastle United fans will hope the New Year brings about a positive change in form at St James’ Park.

While the Premier League giants did bow out from 2025 with a 3-1 win over Scott Parker’s relegation-doomed Burnley, it was far from a picture-perfect end to the year for Eddie Howe‘s men, with a 1-0 defeat in the Tyne-Wear Derby in December still stinging, alongside a disappointing loss by the same scoreline against Manchester United on Boxing Day also knocking morale.

Howe has already noted that January will be “season-defining” for his troops, as the fixture schedule continues to be overloaded with tough match-ups.

He will, of course, want the Saudi PIF to dip their toes into the chaotic transfer market, too, to help his team have a positive start to 2026, with plenty of moves reported to be in the works…

Newcastle prepare approach for Ligue 1 star

The window has only been open for a matter of days, but the rumour mill at St James’ Park has thrown out a wide variety of rumours.

Indeed, Kees Smit continues to be linked with a switch to Tyneside away from AZ Alkmaar – as Real Madrid even begin to show an interest in the Dutch midfielder – with Manchester City youngster Oscar Bobb also allegedly on Howe and Co.’s radar as they aim to bring in reinforcements all over the pitch.

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Newcastle are also eyeing up incomings in defence, with Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope revealing that an approach is anticipated this month from the Premier League strugglers, involving a move for Toulouse left-back Dayann Methalie.

Hope states that the 19-year-old is well-liked by those on Tyneside, with his comfortable approach on the ball, and his ability to play as a left-sided centre-back if needed, making this a very attractive deal to try and get over the line.

With cover in the defensive areas also perhaps needed, with Lewis Hall’s troubling injury record on the left, this could be a very smart move to progress further with, as Methalie potentially goes down as another Malick Thiaw-style masterstroke for PIF this month.

Why Methalie can be Thiaw 2.0

Thiaw would enter the building in the summer as an intriguing pick-up from AC Milan, having collected an encouraging seven clean sheets last season from 19 Serie A starts.

The feeling in the air would have been one of expecting the German to take time to acclimatise to his new surroundings, but he has turned into a Premier League warrior effortlessly, with 19-goal menace Erling Haaland even feeling his wrath this season, when the number 12 bravely put an end to one of the Nordic attacker’s darts forward back in November when Newcastle won 2-1.

Averaging 4.9 duels won per league game, on top of registering a 90% pass accuracy, Thiaw looks as if he’s been playing at the peak of his powers in the Premier League for some time, as opposed to just half a season, with the 6-foot-4 titan even lauded as the “future of the club” by Toon captain Bruno Guimaraes.

At just 24 years of age, Thiaw will have aspirations in mind that he can go on to be a mainstay in the Magpies’ defence for the foreseeable future, with Methalie possibly linking up with the Dusseldorf-born defender, another buy with the future firmly in mind, considering the Frenchman will only hit 20 years of age himself in February.

Much like Thiaw, though, the homegrown Toulouse talent is playing with a maturity beyond his years in Ligue 1, as seen in him averaging 4.1 duels won per top-flight contest this season, during what is his first breakout campaign in the senior set-up.

With two goals also under his belt for the France U21s, it’s clear that the Les Violets’ number 24 has a bright future in the game, with journalist Alfred Frank going as far as to state that Methalie is the “complete player“, while also hailing him as “one of the best left-backs in Ligue 1”.

This possible move really does have all the ingredients to be another sensational Thiaw capture, with Newcastle never looking back after gambling on the promising 24-year-old to come good on English shores.

With European giants such as Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus previously noted as being keen, the Toon could well have to fend off some fierce competition to land Methalie’s services, as the drama of the January transfer window returns in full swing.

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