Newcastle United are reportedly leading the race to sign striker Marcus Thuram as a free agent this summer.

The Lowdown: Contact made

Newcastle have reportedly already spoken to Thuram's agent over a potential move once his contract at Borussia Monchengladbach expires, along with fellow Premier League rivals Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona and Inter Milan are also thought to be interested in his signature, with no signs that he will renew his current deal as of yet.

The Latest: Newcastle leading race

As per Italian news outlet Calciomercato, the St. James' Park outfit are 'in the lead' in the race to sign Thuram.

They are able to offer a bigger salary than what he has currently being offered elsewhere, and so will be confident that they can secure his signature once he becomes a free agent.

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The Verdict: No-brainer

It is surely a no-brainer for the North East club to sign a player of Thuram's quality for free.

Lauded as ‘world class’ by Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schafer, and an ‘absolute beast‘ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the six-foot-four colossus has scored an impressive 41 times and supplied a further 26 assists in 122 matches in total for Gladbach, with 17 of those goal contributions coming so far this term (Transfermarkt).

With Chris Wood set to join Nottingham Forest on a permanent deal, the Magpies will have space for a striker in their squad, and they should be looking no further than Thuram in order to give fierce competition to both Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson.