AC Milan are closing in on RB Salzburg centre-back Strahinja Pavlovic, a deal which is expected to pave the way for Thiaw’s exit this summer.

That’s good news for Newcastle, who have identified the German international as one of their top targets as Eddie Howe looks to further strengthen his backline after the arrival of Lloyd Kelly.

Building speculation on Monday claimed Newcastle had agreed terms with Thiaw, but Gordon Stipic, the defender’s representative, moved to shut that talk down.

He told Sky Germany: “The current reporting about my client Malick Thiaw in connection with a possible transfer to Newcastle United is FALSE and incorrect.

“Therefore, I will not comment on any further rumours.“

Thiaw, who has previously been linked with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, remains a leading target for the Magpies, but Howe admitted at the weekend that no deals were close as things stand.

Although Howe has already bolstered his defence with the arrival of Kelly, a player he knows well from their time together at Bournemouth, United remain in the market for another centre-half, with Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles both facing long spells on the sidelines.

Kelly wasn’t involved in Saturday’s friendly at Hull, with Howe explaining: “I think with Lloyd it’s a case of just building his training load. We train differently and there’s differences emotionally when you join a new club.

“You just have to give some players that little bit longer to expose them to the really hard yards that we do in pre-season. I know everyone wants to see him and I want to see him. We have to manage that right.”