Newcastle United eyeing £36m Juventus defender that would reunite him with two former teammates

Newcastle United have recruited very well from AC Milan over the last few years, picking up Sandro Tonali and Malick Thiaw from the Italian giants.

Both signings have proven to be absolute bargains (if we ignore a certain 10-month period for Tonali).

Malick Thiaw has settled into Newcastle's defence perfectly alongside Sven Botman, while Tonali is widely regarded as one of the best players in the Premier League.

Now rumours in Italy suggest the duo could be reunited with another former teammate.

Juventus are open to selling Pierre Kalulu for around £26 million

According to Tutto Juve, which has taken a break from trying to make a Juventus move for Sandro Tonali work to link a player in the opposite direction, claims that Newcastle are one of three Premier League clubs eyeing Juve's versatile defender Pierre Kalulu, formerly of AC Milan.

The 25-year-old Frenchman has been impressive for Juve, but the cash-strapped club are thought to be willing to part with Kalulu if a bid of around €30 million (£26 million) were to come in.

Newcastle are thought to be joined by Tottenham and Aston Villa in their interest in the centre-back and for that price, we can see why.

Pierre Kalulu could be a good signing for Newcastle

Pierre Kalulu has Champions League experience, having played in all three of Juventus' games in the competition so far this season, even picking up an assist along the way.

He's a big player for Juve, but they know that they have to sell players if they want to strengthen, and as such, haven't ruled out selling Kalulu despite him having only recently signed for The Old Lady.

Extra depth at the back wouldn't go amiss, especially for someone of Kalulu's age and versatility. We have the next generation already installed, but they will soon need backup too, so it makes sense to build that up early rather than having to panic when Dan Burn and Fabian Schar call time on their Newcastle careers.

However, it's always worth noting where the story is coming from, and if we don't believe a word Tutto Juve says about Sandro Tonali, why should we buy into what they're saying about a player going the other way, just because it benefits us?