Newcastle Close In On Højbjerg Transfer from Marseille

Newcastle United have moved to the brink of a deal for Olympique de Marseille midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, with the transfer expected to come in at around €15m, according to Foot Mercato.

It is a move born of urgency on Tyneside. Bruno Guimarães has gone to Arsenal, leaving a gaping hole at the heart of Eddie Howe’s midfield. Newcastle need experience, personality, and someone who knows the Premier League’s rhythm. Højbjerg ticks every box.

Talks between the clubs are understood to be at an advanced stage, with Newcastle aiming to wrap up the signing this week. The fee, modest by current market standards, would still represent an important injection of cash for Marseille.

For OM, the timing is delicate. The club’s hierarchy have been working with tight financial constraints and need sales to steady the books. Losing a cornerstone of the side is never easy, but a €15m deal offers some badly needed breathing space.

Højbjerg’s impact in France has been clear from the moment he arrived on the Canebière two years ago. He did not ease his way in; he took ownership of the midfield. In his first season, he made 32 appearances, starting every single one. In the second, he went up a gear: 43 appearances, 40 of them as a starter, plus eight outings in the Champions League.

Those numbers tell a simple story. Coaches trust him. They build midfields around him.

A return to England would reunite the 31-year-old with a league he knows intimately after spells at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur. Newcastle would not be signing a project. They would be signing a ready-made organiser, someone who can shield a back line, dictate tempo, and drag a game back under control when it starts to slip.

For Marseille, it would mean the end of a short but significant chapter. For Newcastle, it could be the start of a new one in the post-Guimarães era, with Højbjerg asked to anchor a side still intent on pushing the Premier League’s elite.