It’s only September, and Eddie Howe is already dealing with some selection headaches and mini injury and fitness crises across his Newcastle United squad.

In defence, the likes of Fabian Schar and Kieran Trippier are starting to show their age, and Howe is frequently calling upon Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman to see out, and even start games as of late.

And in the midfield and attack, we’ve already seen Yoane Wissa and Jacob Ramsey ruled out for a number of weeks through separate injuries, which has already impacted squad selection in both the Premier League and Champions League.

So it’s no surprise to see Howe and the recruitment team already look to the January transfer window for reinforcements, with a former target once again linked with a move to Tyneside…

Serie A star set for fresh Toon interest?

According to Sports Witness, Newcastle could table a fresh bid for Inter Milan star Davide Fratessi, as the midfielder faces an uncertain future at the club.

Sky Italy’s Gianluca Di Marzio reported on our interest last month, claiming we had a €40m bid rejected, with the Italian giants reluctant to do a deal so late in the window.

But the club and the player are still in negotiations over a new contract, with Inter keen to keep the 25-year-old who scored seven goals last season.

However, the fact he hasn’t started a game this season under Cristian Chivu, and has just a sole substitute appearance in the Champions League against Ajax, could inspire hope that we can strike a deal.

The right buy at this moment in time?

With Jacob Ramsey injured, and both Lewis Miley and Joe Willock not playing at the level we know they are capable of, our midfield has options but is perhaps lacking in quality or goals beyond our starting trio.

The addition of Frattesi could be fantastic for rotation, as we are set to play three games a week multiple times this season as we continue to balance league, cup competitions and Europe.

£40m-plus is also a lot of money for a player who is, at this moment in time, a squad player without Premier League experience and struggling to earn minutes in an underperforming Inter Milan side.

This will be an interesting one to watch come January if negotiations stall, however, especially if Willock continues to struggle or Ramsey isn’t able to stay fit.