Khéphren Thuram back on Newcastle's wish list as Sandro Tonali nears Toon exit

Newcastle United have been quietly preparing behind the scenes for a potential Sandro Tonali exit this summer, and if recent reports are to be believed, it may have been a good move.

Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as serious contenders to take the Italian away from Newcastle, although it is likely to set them back at least £90 million.

Tonali's long contract at Newcastle means that the Magpies can pretty much name their price, and David Hopkinson has already said that any sales of big players this summer will be on our terms. We've already seen Newcastle negotiate a good price for Anthony Gordon, and they will feel, especially with the market inflation caused by Elliot Anderson, that they can push the boundaries even further for Tonali.

The issue will be replacing the Italy international, but we suspect that Ross Wilson will have a good list of options already.

Juventus want £40m for Khéphren Thuram

We already expect that Monaco's Lamine Camara will be high on the list, but it wouldn't be a transfer window without the name of Khéphren Thuram popping up.

Recently linked with a move to Sunderland, the 25-year-old Juventus midfielder has been linked with Newcastle every window, as regular as clockwork, but looking at how things are panning out, this could be the one where movement is made.

According to TuttoSport in Italy, Juve will demand £40 million for Thuram, with Newcastle and Nottingham Forest keen after Sunderland opted not to pursue their interest.

Could there actually be something to this claim this time?

It's claimed that TuttoSport has a good relationship with Thuram's agent, so there could be some credibility to the claims, although you know our stance on reports from Italy and our love of pinches of salt as far as they are concerned.

Khéphren Thuram is a name that never seems to go away, so there must be some truth in here somewhere. No smoke without fire and all that.

As for how far up Wilson's list the Juve star is, we have no idea, but if Sandro Tonali is sold, we'll soon find out.

Rumour Rating: 6/10 - At this point, is the interest genuine, or is it just an automated story that the media pumps out every transfer window? He fits the bill, though, and if Tonali is sold, he could become a real target.