Newcastle United has finally succeeded in signing a player. Overcoming repeated rejections, they have brought in ‘German national team defender’ Malik Chiaou (24) to reinforce their defense.
On the 13th (Korea time), Newcastle officially announced on the club’s website, “We can confirm that we have signed Chiaou on a long-term contract from the Italian team AC Milan. He primarily plays as a center-back and has become Newcastle’s third first-team signing this summer.”
Chiaou is a defender boasting a height of 194 cm and can also play on the right side, but his main position is center-back. He made his professional debut at Schalke 04 at the age of 18 in 2020, and since the 2020-2021 season, he has firmly established himself in the first team.
Having made a name for himself early on, Chiaou switched to AC Milan in the summer of 2022. Although he initially struggled to make an impact and found himself on the bench, he gradually increased his playing time and became a regular starter. However, due to a hamstring injury in the 2023-2024 season, he was sidelined for an extended period, and the team’s struggles compounded his disappointing performances.
Nevertheless, given his potential, Chiaou accepted Newcastle’s call and will make his entrance into the Premier League. This is also an important challenge for him. Chiaou made his debut for the German national team in June 2023 but has yet to play further after appearing in just three matches, making a career revival essential.
Newcastle stated, “Chiaou has played a total of 85 matches in the last three years while wearing the AC Milan jersey, including matches against Newcastle in the UEFA Champions League (UCL). Last season, he scored the team’s only goal in an away match against Real Madrid,” and added, “Chiaou will wear the number 12 jersey for Newcastle in the upcoming season.”
Chiaou expressed, “I am really happy to join this enormous club. I can’t wait to start training and get to know my new teammates and all the staff,” and further noted, “Manager Eddie Howe has shown me his vision for how we want to grow as a player and a club. I am really excited.”
He also added, “Newcastle is a club that doesn’t even need any mention. It is a great club with passionate fans. I am looking forward to the day I meet the fans at St. James’ Park.”
Newcastle is having a tough summer transfer window. The club has been active since the early stages of the transfer window, but most efforts have not led to results. Although they signed winger Antony Elanga and backup goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale earlier, they faced a series of rejections afterward.
According to ‘The Athletic,’ Newcastle has missed out on Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitike, João Pedro, Benjamin Šeško, and James Trafford. Instead of Newcastle, Delap and Pedro chose Chelsea, Ekitike chose Liverpool, Šeško chose Manchester United, and Trafford chose Manchester City.
The biggest issue is that ‘ace’ Alexander Isak has insisted on heading to Liverpool, hinting at a potential holdout. Manager Howe has taken strong measures, even excluding him from first-team training, but Isak continues to stray, stating he will not play for Newcastle again despite having three years left on his contract. With their last hope of signing Šeško also failing, Newcastle now finds itself without a suitable striker alternative.
Given this context, signing Chiaou is like rain in a drought. Manager Howe said, “I am very pleased to have Chiaou join us. He is a player I have highly valued for a long time and will truly add quality to our defensive options,” adding, “Chiaou is still young but has experience not only in UCL but also in the Bundesliga and Serie A. He will bring valuable experience to our team as we return to European competition.”
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