After a rocky start, Newcastle have steadied the ship superbly and coped well while competing on three fronts. However, with more three-game weeks to come, injuries adding up and Sandro Tonali facing a lengthy ban, it’s likely we dip into the transfer market in January.
With a right-sided centre-back and central midfielder tipped to arrive, here’s a few options Newcastle could pursue in the new year.
Centre-back
Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace)
The Danish international has a very similar profile to Fabian Schar, which clearly appeals to the club’s recruitment team given how well he’s paired up with Sven Botman. Andersen was targeted over the summer but it seems Palace’s reported £40m price tag put us off. He’s been brilliant so far this season, impressing at both ends of the pitch, and may see a move to St James’ Park as an exciting step up at this stage of his career.
Malick Thiaw (AC Milan)
Mix his towering frame with his impressive athleticism and it’s easy to see why the 22-year-old German is turning heads in Serie A. He’s been watched regularly by Newcastle scouts and would add some much needed pace to our back line.
Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea)
The former England U21 star is no longer in the first team picture at Chelsea and may be available on loan. I’m not convinced he’s the long-term replacement for Schar that we’ll be looking for, but he could do a job for us over the second half of the season.
Central midfielder
Kalvin Phillips (Man City)
He’s been heavily linked in recent weeks and it’s no real surprise. Howe showed interest over the summer, but the player opted to fight for his place under Pep Guardiola. A few months later, he’s come to his senses and will almost certainly push for a January move, while we could do with a natural number six; especially in light of Tonali’s imminent ban. On loan, it could work perfectly for all parties.
Scott McTominay (Man Utd)
Another player who was mentioned as a midfield target over the early months of the summer window. Since then, he’s had limited game time under Erik ten Hag and could fill in as a number six or eight. My concern is, I think we can do better when it comes to permanent signings and I doubt Man Utd would sanction a mid-season loan.
Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal)
This would be controversial when Al-Hilal and Newcastle have the same majority owners in PIF, but the Portuguese international would be an almost perfect Tonali replacement given his Premier League experience, quality and leadership. The question is, would it be worth the risk given the anti-Saudi fume that would almost certainly follow?
Overall, bookmakers accepting the lowest amounts on Phillips tell me he’s most likely to arrive in January, as his need for game time mixed in with our need for another midfielder could make it the perfect match.
