- 14 hours ago
Why AC Milan juggernaut Malick Thiaw is the perfect signing for Newcastle
Jacque Talbot
- Updated: 14 Jul 2024 12:57 BST
- 6 min read
When Newcastle visited the San Siro for their first Champions League match in 20 years last season, the game was far from extraordinary.
AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli deployed a 4-3-3 formation, pairing Malick Thiaw with Fikayo Tomori at the back. The towering German stood out by completing three key passes into the final third and achieving an impressive 89% pass success rate in the 0-0 draw. Thiaw's quiet yet competent display was clearly enough to impress Eddie Howe ahead of this summer transfer window.
Near Dusseldorf, Thiaw's football journey began at the local club, TV Kalkum-Wittlaer. After a successful trial, Thiaw joined Fortuna Düsseldorf for the 2008/2009 season.
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In the 2011/2012 season, Thiaw joined the youth ranks of Borussia Monchengladbach. Over five seasons he played as a midfielder. A huge admirer of Yaya Toure, Thiaw tried to emulate the Ivorian's ability to dominate midfield and transition with speed.
By age 14, Thiaw joined Schalke 04's academy, which had produced talents like Mesut Ozil, Leroy Sane, Julian Draxler, Joel Matip, Ilkay Gundogan, and Manuel Neuer.
Thiaw continued life as a midfielder in Schalke’s youth setup under coach developmental coach Norbert Elgert. He netted eight goals in 20 games in the U19-Bundesliga West in the 2019/20 season but was deployed as a centre-back after earning a spot in the Schalke first-team.
There’s no getting away from the fact that last season was hardly an exceptional campaign for Thiaw. He played just 1,620 Serie A minutes and 20 matches overall. This was mostly down to a hamstring injury that saw him sidelined for 11 league games, while he was left out of the starting line-up on three occasions.
The 2022/23 season - his inaugural term in Italy - was much better. The defender was bought from Schalke in the summer of 2022 for an initial €5 million and €2m in potential add-ons. Somewhat ironically he was purchased as an alternative to Sven Botman, who they wanted to play centrally, and now he could be featuring alongside the Dutchman at Newcastle.
Current ETV
Malick Thiaw
D (C)
Milan
Malick Thiaw
D (C)
Milan
ETV Range
€20.6M - €34.3M
It was during this season that Pioli temporarily made a tactical shift to a three-at-the-back system. The departure of Franck Kessie and the inconsistent fitness of Ismael Bennacer meant that Milan played from the back rather than from the middle. They would in particular try and attack on the left flank, where Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao combined. This system allowed Thiaw to flourish.
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Thiaw stands at 6'4" and is unsurprisingly dominant in aerial duels. With Tomori and Pierre Kalulu as his partners that season, the 22-year-old was free to engage the ball aggressively, their electric pace there to cover in case he was caught short.
Thiaw's aerial presence is bolstered by his technique, using his long legs and ability to leap at the right time to win most battles. It would be easy to label Thiaw as a juggernaut given his size but his approach to defence is much more measured. He effectively closes down space rather than the ball, making it difficult for them to get past him.
Thiaw is adept at defending transitions, using his speed to ensure that opponents cannot break through quickly. In possession, he can help in build-up play, but typically makes short passes to the left side of defence or to the No.6, rather than penetrating further.
Even still, he ranks second in Serie A against centre-backs for accurate passes and passes into the final third, meaning he can operate as a ball-playing defender, similar to Fabian Schar.
Newcastle are on the lookout for a right-sided centre-back to compete and eventually replace the 32-year-old and Thiaw would be a superb option, given his high ceiling and attributes that align with Howe's blueprint.
