Newcastle United Eyes Youssouf Fofana Amid Midfield Rebuild
Newcastle United’s midfield rebuild has taken another twist, and this one comes from Milan.
With little more than two weeks left in the transfer window and the departures of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali still leaving a sizeable hole in the middle of the pitch, Matthias Jaissle is pushing for both experience and depth. The club has already sounded out Bayern Munich over Joao Palhinha and kept Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall on its radar. Now a new name has moved into focus: Youssouf Fofana.
Fofana pushed towards Milan exit
Italian journalist Matteo Moretto reported on Saturday that Newcastle have asked AC Milan about Fofana’s situation after the Serie A side told the France international he is no longer part of their plans.
“Fofana is on his way out, and he was informed of this in person,” Moretto said, via MilanNews, underlining the clarity of Milan’s stance. At this stage, though, no club has taken the decisive step.
“I can assure you that there aren't any advanced negotiations with any specific club at this time,” he added.
Newcastle are not alone. Moretto named them as one of three clubs to have already approached Milan about the 27-year-old.
“I can tell you that Nottingham have inquired, Newcastle have inquired, and Juventus have inquired,” he said.
So the door is open. Nobody has walked through it yet.
Juventus push harder as Newcastle weigh options
If anything, the latest update underlines how early Newcastle’s interest still is. There has been an enquiry, but no offer and no active negotiations over a transfer.
Juventus, by contrast, are described as taking a more serious look at the deal and are currently seen as the club pushing hardest for Fofana.
“Fofana is certainly an option for Juventus, and the two clubs, Juve and Milan, have spoken and discussed possible situations and market developments,” Moretto reported.
That dialogue gives Juventus a head start, but it does not close the door on Newcastle if they choose to move quickly.
A potentially cheaper solution for Newcastle
Fofana only arrived at Milan from Monaco in 2024 for around €20 million (£17.3 million) and is under contract until 2028. Yet Milan’s willingness to move him on has created an opportunity.
Reports differ slightly on the asking price, but most place it in the €15–20 million range (approximately £13–17 million). That bracket would make Fofana significantly cheaper than some of Newcastle’s other midfield targets, including Palhinha, who would command a far higher fee.
For a club trying to reshape its midfield without blowing the budget, that price point matters.
Situation wide open
For now, though, everything remains in the balance. Milan want to sell, Fofana has been told he can go, but the market has not yet crystallised.
“There aren't any advanced negotiations with any specific club at this time,” Moretto reiterated, stressing that no side has yet turned interest into a concrete bid.
Newcastle are in the race, Juventus are probing harder, and Nottingham Forest are watching the situation. The question now is simple: who will actually move first?
