Milan and Newcastle agree €42m deal over Thiaw, the Rossoneri want one of Leoni and Comuzzo to replace him | OneFootball

Malick Thiaw at the airport. (@acmilan.com)

Malick Thiaw is set to leave Milan and start reunite with Sandro Tonali.

Milan will have their first competitive match in one week when they take on Bari in the Coppa Italia, and the squad of Massimiliano Allegri is taking shape ahead of the new season.

One of the players who will not be there however is Malick Thiaw, as the German defender is ready to leave.

As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Matteo Moretto, Milannews.it, Diego Longo and others, Milan and Newcastle have reach an agreement over Thiaw. The 24-year-old joined Milan in 2022 from Schalke and cost around €7m, he will leave in a deal worth €42m (€38m + €4m bonuses) with the German club getting 10% of the deal.

Thiaw’s career at Milan saw him both as a starter at times and as a bench player at times, and even though Allegri reportedly took a liking to the player during pre-season, this offer is too good for the him and also for management to reject, as this represents a massive plusvalenza in the books for the Diavolo. Sky reports that Tare and Allegri tried to convince Thiaw to stay and even offered a salary bump, but he gave his word to Newcastle.

Romelu Lukaku and Giovanni Leoni of Parma during Parma-Napoli at Stadio Ennio Tardini on May 18, 2025. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

In the next days Milan will be looking to replace Thiaw. According to Moretto, Longo and other reporters – the top target is 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni from Parma. The center-back is wanted by many clubs and he has a very high asking price, in the range of €35-40m. The alternative is Fiorentina’s 20-year-old Pietro Comuzzo.

Updates are expected soon as Igli Tare will want to give Allegri a new starting defender.