Newcastle dressing room could be 'getting a fighter' after Benjamin Sesko rejection

Newcastle United transfer target Malick Thiaw has been labelled a “fighter” by AC Milan team-mate Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The Magpies are in desperate need of some good news after a major setback in their pursuit of striker Benjamin Sesko.

It emerged on Wednesday that the RB Leipzig forwardprefers a move to Old Trafford over St James’ Park this summer. This would deal a blow to Newcastle's hopes of replacing Alexander Isak, who is keen to join Liverpool.

Sesko’s decision marks yet another near-miss in the market for Eddie Howe and his recruitment team as their Premier League opener against Aston Villa draws ever closer. However, there is some good news yet for the Newcastle faithful.

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The club have been seeking a central defensive partner for Sven Botman for some time, with Dan Burn and Fabian Schar being relied upon to step into the role until now. Following last summer's unsuccessful pursuit of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, the Magpies have set their sights on German international Thiaw.

The 23-year-old joined Milan in 2022 but found himself out of favour towards the end of the last season. Even so, former Chelsea and England midfielder Loftus-Cheek, who has previously also been on Howe's wishlist, gave him a glowing review.

In an interview with SportWeek, Loftus-Cheek faced a series of rapid-fire questions about his Rossoneri team-mates. When asked to name which of his peers he believes fights the most, he didn't mince his words and swiftly replied: "Malick Thiaw."

Although Loftus-Cheek highlighted goalkeeper Mike Maignan as the team's most outspoken leader in the dressing room, it's clear that Thiaw is seen by his peers as a respected and committed personality, traits that could serve him well on Tyneside.

Standing at 6ft3in, Thiaw's commanding presence is as noticeable off the pitch as it is on it. Yet he struggled for playing time last season and looked certain to move on from San Siro this summer.

However, despite Serie A side Como coming close to sealing a £21.7million deal for the defender earlier in the window, Thiaw channelled that characteristic Loftus-Cheek praised him for, and fought for his first-team place under new manager Massimiliano Allegri.

It was reported that Thiaw arrived back from his pre-season break early to impress and did not want to commit to a move away. Allegri has used him plenty in pre-season, including in recent clashes against Arsenal and Liverpool.

Despite nearly leaving the club for around £20m, this dramatic change in circumstances now means that a reported fee of £30m or higher would be needed to prise him away. Yet, Sky in Germany claim that personal terms have been settled between Thiaw and Newcastle.

Regardless of whether he becomes a Newcastle player, Loftus-Cheek's glowing comments reflect the calibre of player they would be getting should they splash the cash, and manager Howe is another who has heaped praise on him.

When asked about the defender last summer, Howe said: "There's no updates on that. I'm always reluctant to comment on these things, but he's a player I know about. Of course I do, from our games in the Champions League against Milan and yeah, he's a very good player, but that's it."

Newcastle might have some financial flexibility should the Isak transfer saga end with the Swede leaving the club, and an alternative to Thiaw could be Palace's Guehi, despite the Magpies being unsuccessful in their pursuit of him last summer.

The Times reports that Liverpool will not make a third bid for the defender in the transfer window after having two offers turned down. Guehi, whose contract is set to expire next year, is believed to be valued at nearly £50m by the Eagles, with rumours suggesting he could potentially be snapped up for £40m.

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