Newcastle plan ‘aggressive’ pursuit of €25m Moroccan star as sources reveal Premier League return desire | OneFootball

Newcastle United are poised to pursue Bilal El Khannouss aggressively, sources have told TEAMtalk, as the Morocco international attacking midfielder is eager to return to the Premier League in 2026.

Currently shining on loan at VfB Stuttgart from Leicester City, El Khannouss has expressed a strong desire to return to English football once his temporary stint in Germany ends in the summer of 2026, with Newcastle determined to bring him to St. James’ Park.

Sources have told TEAMtalk that El Khannouss, who joined Leicester from Genk in 2024, misses the intensity of the Premier League.

“He would like to play in the Premier League again,” insiders told TEAMtalk about El Khannouss, highlighting the 21-year-old Morocco international attacker’s unfinished business in England’s top tier.

Newcastle have been monitoring the versatile playmaker closely, impressed by his contributions in the Bundesliga.

El Khannouss has scored two goals and given three assists in nine starts and one assist in the Bundesliga so far this season.

The playmaker has done well in the Europa League, too, finding the back of the net thrice in four starts and one substitute appearance.

We understand that Newcastle could launch a bid when El Khannouss’s loan concludes, viewing him as a key addition to manager Eddie Howe’s midfield.

El Khannouss is under contract at Leicester until the summer of 2028.

During his time at the Foxes, the Morocco international scored three goals and gave seven assists in 39 appearances.

Newcastle United face competition for Bilal El Khannouss – sources

For Newcastle, securing El Khannouss aligns with their ambition to blend youth and talent.

However, Newcastle, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), face competition from other Premier League clubs also interested in El Khannouss.

Stuttgart, where El Khannouss has settled well, holds an option to buy the attacker for €20-25million (up to £22m, $29.1m), potentially sparking a bidding war.

However, the key is that El Khannouss would have to accept a permanent switch to Germany and could rebuff Stuttgart’s plans – and that is likely if Premier League clubs come into play.

El Khannouss’s career trajectory has been meteoric. Starting at Anderlecht’s academy, he broke through at Genk with 94 appearances before his switch to Leicester.

Now at Stuttgart, El Khannouss’s dribbling, vision, and creativity have drawn praise, helping Stuttgart compete for the Champions League places in the Bundesliga table.

This is why a number of Premier League sides are keen to try and land him in the summer of 2026. El Khannouss would come with experience in the English top flight and a desire to show what he can do at the very top level.

Leeds United made a serious play to sign El Khannouss in the summer of 2025, with the Whites having been impressed with his performances for Leicester in the Premier League in the 2024/25 campaign.

Meanwhile, sources have told TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, that Newcastle United are seriously considering a January bid for a Hungarian gem, who is on the radar of Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion.

Transfer insider Graeme Bailey has told TEAMtalk whether Newcastle United could sell Tino Livramento to Manchester City in the January transfer window.