Newcastle eye move for Bilal El Khannouss

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August 12, 2025 09:12 GMT (UK), by Ketan Patel

Morocco international Bilal El Khannouss is wanted by Newcastle as the club seek to add reinforcements before the transfer window closes on September 1st. Leicester City are open to selling the attacking midfielder that they signed from Genk for £21 million, and the reported price to sign the 21-year-old is around £30 million. Newcastle have indicated that their transfer business is not yet complete, in particular because Alexander Isak‘s long-term future is still unclear.

Bilal El Khannouss ticks a lot of Newcastle boxes: a 21-year-old, press-resistant 8/10 who carries through the lines, links quickly in the right half-space, and creates chances against low blocks, where Newcastle have sometimes lacked craft. He fits Eddie Howe‘s high-energy press,  complements Bruno Guimaraes as a more advanced number 8, and adds rotation depth while keeping the wage bill sensible and preserving resale upside.

El Khannouss joined Leicester in 2024 from Genk, and had a mixed first season the Premier League. Scoring two goals in 33 games, the Moroccan international was one of the few bright sparks of a disappointing relegation campaign, but Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was reportedly impressed with what he had seen, and has pushed the Toon Army’s backroom team to make a move for the player.