Newcastle and AC Milan in negotiations as Magpies fall short with first Fikayo Tomori bid

Newcastle have made their first concrete move for Tomori, but the opening gambit has fallen short of the Italian club's expectations, reports in Italy claim. The Magpies submitted an initial offer of €15 million for the England international, aiming to secure his signature early in the summer window. However, the San Siro side are not prepared to sanctioned a departure at that price, as they look to protect the market value of one of their most experienced defensive assets.

The English club are determined to strengthen Eddie Howe’s squad after missing out on European football during a disappointing previous campaign. Newcastle endured a sluggish Premier League season, finishing 12th while conceding 55 goals, and their defensive frailties were laid bare on the continental stage as they were dumped out of the Champions League round of 16 in a heavy 8-3 aggregate defeat to Barcelona.

According to reports from MilanNews24, the Rossoneri management are currently reflecting on the proposal from England, even though they consider it to be significantly below their economic aspirations for the player. The Milan leadership has no intention of selling the central defender at a discounted rate and continues to maintain a valuation of €20m, including bonuses. This figure is considered a fair representation of his importance to the squad and his standing in the European market.

Tomori initially joined AC Milan on loan in January 2021 before making the move permanent later that summer, after the club exercised their £25m buy option from his previous loan. The defender's current contract with the Italian giants runs until 2027.

The distance between the offer and the asking price does not appear to be insurmountable, and there is a growing belief that a deal could be struck if Newcastle are willing to increase their bid. The current gap stands at roughly €5m - a modest difference for a defender of Tomori’s calibre. During his time at AC Milan, he helped the club lift the 2021-22 Serie A title and the 2024-25 Supercoppa Italiana, while playing a pivotal role in guiding the Rossoneri to the 2022-23 Champions League semi-finals for the first time since their 2006-07 triumph.

Last season, Tomori made 37 appearances across all competitions for AC Milan, providing three assists as the club finished fifth in Serie A to settle for a place in next season's Europa League. In total, the defender has featured 214 times for the Rossoneri, registering seven goals and six assists during his tenure in Italy.

Tomori brings wealth of English football experience, having spent five years on Chelsea's books between 2016 and 2021 - a spell that included loan stints at Brighton, Hull City, and Derby County. During his time at Stamford Bridge, the defender made 27 appearances and scored two goals, while also helping the Blues reach the 2019-20 FA Cup final.