4 Newcastle targets made public as Toon eye Monaco star, Dutch duo and Ligue 1 talent

The new year is approaching, and with that comes the opening of the January transfer window.

Reinforcements would be welcome to refresh a squad currently hit by injuries, and The Mail's Craig Hope has named FOUR midfielders currently high up on the club's radar.

He reveals that Monaco's 21-year-old Lamine Camara is being monitored, along with AZ Alkmaar sensation Kees Smit, Feyenoord talent Luciano Valente and Auxerre's France Under-21 international, Kevin Danois.

A key theme is that all of the above are 22 or younger, with Hope adding that new sporting director Ross Wilson is keen to lower the average age of the squad.

It's thought there will be an emphasis on recruiting top European talent with 'high ceilings', suggesting that hidden gems and value for money will be key focuses as we explore options outside of an inflated Premier League market.

All four have been linked at different stages over the past month, with Hope previously stating that Danois is one to watch should our ambitious attempts to land Smit fail next month.

Camara is a box-to-box midfielder who looks perfectly suited to English football. He's currently away at AFCON with Senegal, but I watched Marseille vs Monaco in Ligue 1 last weekend and he was the best player on the pitch in an all-action display.

What's not clear is whether or not a midfielder has to leave to allow one to arrive. If that is the case, Joe Willock may be one to watch in January, with Crystal Palace linked with a potential move.