The surprise deal Eddie Howe is exploring ahead of the January transfer window

As revealed in my story for FootballTransfers earlier this month, Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix is a player on Newcastle’s radar ahead of the January transfer window.

He has been offered to the club but Howe will of course be wanting to do his due diligence on the star’s character – noise of his fallout with Diego Simeone is a slight cause for concern.

It is a deal that on the face of it is highly unlikely. As well as possible reservations about Felix’s adaptability in the dressing room, Newcastle would have to break their wage structure to bring him in. Atletico are also pushing for a straight loan as they feel they could either get a better price for him in the summer, or his relationship with Simone may be smoothed over in six months’ time.

However – and call it a hunch or whatever you wish – but there are a lot of factors at play that makes this move feasible: Felix is the sort of player whose ability can surefire Newcastle to the Champions League; he can play as a centre-forward, a number ten, and even on the wing; he is young enough to even be moulded by Howe for the future; and you can compound this with the fact that Jorge Mendes, who has Felix on his books at Gestifute, is totally aware of Newcastle’s trajectory and will be doing his level best to spark a long-term relationship there.

He already tried his luck with getting Cristiano Ronaldo to St James’ Park this year and in the likes of Felix, it would be a matter of two birds and one stone.

Newcastle have proved themselves to have a knack of having an ace up their sleeve when it comes to transfers, stressing to reporters their financial restrictions and organic growth in a bid to get rid of the richest-club-in-the-world label. It’s working.

Slowly that association is being eroded and other clubs and agents are finding out Newcastle are among the shrewdness clubs around. But the club whose aim this season was a top-eight finish are among the title contenders. They would be mad not to ensure that bewildering prospect is kept alive.