AC Milan and Newcastle have reached an agreement for the transfer of Malick Thiaw, who will join the English side in a deal worth €40m including bonuses.
Although Newcastle have been linked with Thiaw for quite some time, the negotiations only took off in the last few days. An improved offer was tabled earlier today and it prompted Milan to give the green light, getting the €40m (including bonuses) that they wanted.
Fabrizio Romano tweeted the ‘Here we go!’ just a few minutes ago, with Thiaw expected to undergo his medical tests very soon. It’s perfect timing for the defender as Milan are in Dublin currently, travelling to London later today.
Details of the deal
In total, the deal is worth €40m and there have been some conflicting reports regarding the bonuses. SportItalia said €35m as the fixed base and €5m in bonuses, while Daniele Longo said €36m plus €4m in bonuses.
10% of the capital gain (most likely, rather than the transfer fee) will go to Schalke 04 as Milan agreed to include a future resale clause when they signed Thiaw in 2022. It should be around €3m in the end, but even so the Rossoneri will collect a lot of money.
It remains to be seen what Milan will do now, as a centre-back is suddenly needed to complete the defence. Pietro Comuzzo of Fiorentina and Giovanni Leoni of Parma are believed to be the targets, with negotiations set to properly begin soon.
