Newcastle United Eyeing Fikayo Tomori for Defensive Depth
Newcastle United have spent the summer ripping up and reworking their squad spine. The goalkeeping department looks different, the midfield has been refreshed, yet with Liverpool looming on opening day, one problem still glares back at Matthias Jaissle from the squad list: defensive depth.
Tomori back in play
From Italy, the name Fikayo Tomori has resurfaced. The AC Milan defender has been linked with several Premier League clubs, Newcastle among them. That line has been doing the rounds for weeks, then cooled when The Athletic pushed back on suggestions of concrete Magpies interest at the end of July.
Now the story has flared up again.
Quotidiano Sportivo’s Luca Mignani and talkSPORT both report that Tomori is increasingly likely to leave Milan before the transfer deadline, with the Serie A club making the 28-year-old available.
“Now the main suspect in packing his bags is Fikayo Tomori: he was on the bench for the entire match against Chelsea, tied to the club until next June, with no renewal in sight,” Mignani wrote, underlining a situation that looks more like an exit than a contract stand-off.
talkSPORT echo that stance: “AC Milan have reportedly made Fikayo Tomori available for sale ahead of the final weeks of the transfer window. Tomori is currently heading into his seventh season at San Siro having first joined on loan from boyhood club Chelsea in January 2021.”
The images from preseason tell their own story. Milan lost 3–0 to Chelsea, Tomori’s former club, and new head coach Ruben Amorim shuffled his pack heavily. Tomori still stayed rooted to the bench. No minutes. No cameo. Nothing.
Premier League door reopens
That kind of omission does not go unnoticed in England.
Mignani reports that several Premier League sides have already knocked on the door, sensing a possible bargain and a rare chance to grab a defender in his prime with title-winning experience in Italy. Newcastle are named among them, alongside Liverpool and Coventry City.
“The Premier League has come knocking (Coventry, Newcastle, Liverpool): now it's time to make a move,” Mignani states.
At this stage, though, there is a clear line between interest and intent. No offer from Newcastle has been reported. If the club are watching Tomori’s situation, they are doing it from a distance, waiting to see how the market shifts and how Milan play their hand.
Any move would not be straightforward. Liverpool’s presence alone raises the stakes, and even Coventry being mentioned underlines that the race could take a few twists before deadline day.
Milan’s squeeze, Newcastle’s dilemma
Tomori’s story in Milan is well established. He joined permanently from Chelsea in 2021 for £25 million (around €29 million) after an initial loan and has passed 200 appearances for the Rossoneri. He helped deliver a Serie A title and has been a central figure through multiple seasons at San Siro.
Now the context has changed.
He is entering the final year of his contract, with no renewal on the horizon, according to Mignani. At the same time, Milan are carrying an oversized squad — a huge 44-man group that simply has to be trimmed. That combination almost always ends in sales.
What Milan actually want for Tomori remains a mystery. Mignani’s report does not include a firm asking price. His estimated transfer value sits around €13.3 million, which feels low for a player with his résumé, but estimated values and real-world negotiations rarely match.
For Newcastle, that uncertainty cuts both ways. There could be a window to strike a deal that fits their budget. There could just as easily be a bidding war that forces them to walk away.
Jaissle’s squad needs are clear: more depth at the back, and full-back help in particular. The question is whether Tomori, a natural center-back, is the kind of defensive reinforcement Newcastle should prioritize with their remaining resources, or whether those funds should be held back for a specialist full-back and further midfield strengthening.
The clock is ticking towards Liverpool. The market is shifting around Tomori. Newcastle now have to decide whether this is the moment to move, or the moment to look elsewhere.
