Newcastle United are reportedly closing in on a bargain deal for Christopher Nkunku from AC Milan, with the Frenchman available for as little as £25m this summer. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen have set a £42m price tag on defender Edmond Tapsoba, who is also a target for the Magpies.
Nkunku available for £25m
Newcastle are reportedly favourites to sign Nkunku, despite concrete interest from Aston Villa. AC Milan need to generate funds for the transfer of Diego Moirera from RC Strasbourg and could be tempted to move on the 28-year-old, who has registered just seven goals and three assists since arriving from Chelsea last summer.
With Goncalo Ramos set to lead the line at San Siro following his £63m move from Paris Saint-Germain, Nkunku could see his playing time seriously hampered in 2026/27. Newcastle are in need of a proven centre-forward after Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa provided a disappointing goal and assist return last term.
Chronicle Live says: "While Nkunku's club resume on paper is glimmering to say the least, enjoying stints with PSG, RB Leipzig, Chelsea and AC Milan, his statistics tell a different story. His form has been on a downward trajectory after leaving Leipzig - where he scored 70 goals in 172 appearances."
Nkunku managed just 11 in 78 for PSG and 18 in 62 with Chelsea before he was shipped off to AC Milan, where he has once again failed to find his footing. While it would be tempting to afford the Frenchman one last chance to prove himself in the Premier League, United may be better suited looking elsewhere over the coming weeks to find a more prolific marksman.
Chronicle Live also understand that while affordable, no concrete interest proposals have been lodged for Nkunku. The club are clearly keen on bringing in younger players this summer who still have room to develop, so it would be no surprise to see them pull another lesser-known wonderkid out of thin air - as they did with Traore, Steur and Bamba.
Tapsoba available for £42m
Bayer Leverkusen have set a £42m price tag on Edmond Tapsoba, amid interest from Newcastle, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. While the centre-half is contracted with Die Werkself until 2031, reports from Fussballdaten suggest that Leverkusen are willing to listen to offers in and around their valuation in the coming weeks.
Newcastle also have a major advantage over the Red Devils in their pursuit, given Michael Carrick looks in need of a defensive midfielder and a left-back this summer, as opposed to a new centre-half.
Chronicle Live says: "It has been a case of always the bridesmaid and never the bride for Tapsoba at Newcastle United, with the club linked with a move for the 27-year-old for the best part of the past three years."
United are well aware that Dan Burn and Fabian Schar are into the twilight years of their respective careers, and will need to plan for the future of their backline. While Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman have been touted as the new generation of the United defence, Tapsoba could challenge for a place given last year's inconsistency.
£42m would be against the club's current model of paying a premium for players who are already in their prime, although Tapsoba could be too tempting to pass up on considering his ability across all facets of defence.
