Newcastle United are unlikely to sign Lille enforcer Thiago Maia, according to Chronicle journalist Mark Douglas.
The reporter claimed via his personal Twitter account on Tuesday morning that Newcastle had no interest in signing Maia, 22, last summer when he was linked with a move to Tyneside so he has doubts over a recent report by Le10Sport that says the Magpies have tabled a loan bid for the Brazilian defensive midfielder.
Maia I'm doubtful. Le10Sport pushed that last summer and club told me he was never under consideration
— Mark Douglas (@MsiDouglas) August 6, 2019
Le10Sport’s report last summer claimed that Newcastle tabled a £17.8million bid for Maia but clearly that came to nothing.
OPINION
For Le10Sport to be the sole news outlet to report Newcastle’s attempts to sign Maia both this summer and last suggests that there is something dubious going on here. If it had been another French media outlet, or someone in the UK, to have made the new claim then things would have seemed a bit more likely but based on their form, Le10Sport do not appear to be getting this right. It is good news for Newcastle fans. Maia struggled at Lille last season and only managed to start 11 times in Ligue 1. Although he was a highly-rated young Brazilian coming through the ranks at Santos before he moved to France, he has so far failed to live up to his hype. Newcastle could do with a defensive midfielder signed up before Thursday’s deadline but it is not a priority. Steve Bruce needs another striker before anything else and perhaps a new right-back.
