We’ve reached the halfway point of the January transfer window, and it’s been a pretty quiet month so far.
With Fabian Schar ruled out for three months and Tino Livramento set to be sidelined for eight weeks, Newcastle need defensive reinforcements.
On that note, it’s interesting to see a few new links following talk of a right-sided centre-back arriving, along with an update on Jamaal Lascelles’ future.
Two centre-backs linked with £25m set aside
Tiago Gabriel and James Hill are the latest names to emerge in our hunt for a new right-sided centre-back.
Starting with Craig Hope at The Mail, he reports that Newcastle have been watching Lecce star Tiago Gabriel, who has impressed in Serie A this season.
The towering 21-year-old is a Portuguese youth international that’s clearly on our radar, with Hope adding that Newcastle have set aside £25m should the right centre-back become available this month.
Moving to Mark Douglas at The iPaper, he reveals that Bournemouth’s James Hill is a player that is admired by scouts at the club, although the arrival of an overseas centre-back is considered more realistic this month.
Douglas adds that Giorgio Scalvini does not appear to be an option this month, however, despite the Italian being open to a switch to St James’ Park.
Toulouse’s Dayann Methalie, a powerful left-back who can also play at centre-back, remains one to watch, but it’s thought our ongoing interest in the French Under-21 star is more likely to rear its head later in the month.
Lascelles going, Targett staying on Teesside?
Back to Craig Hope, he reveals that Jamaal Lascelles has ‘almost certainly’ played his last game for the club and is on the lookout for a move.
West Ham are one option being explored, with the Hammers battling to stay up and recently losing Konstaninos Mavropanos to injury.
Lascelles is out of contract this summer and has only appeared twice this season, both from the bench.
Elsewhere, Matt Targett is now expected to stay at Middlesbrough despite suggestions he could be recalled from his loan spell at the Riverside.
The player is keen to play regularly and it’s thought his loan move at Boro could be turned into a permanent one this summer, with Eddie Howe and Ross Wilson likely to respect his wishes to stay on Teesside.
I always question the wisdom of publicly releasing your budget. Essentially, what it does is ensures you don’t pay a penny less than the stated budget for any player. If a club wanted £18m for a player but they know our budget is £25m, the price will become £25m.
Ian(Quote)
Budget shmudget, we gotta get defensive cover QUICK.
davewallace(Quote)
Just go and get them.. early business us the best business
Fitchy(Quote)
Fitchy(Quote)
Yyyyaaawwwnnnn
Gareth Forbes(Quote)
Lascelles To palace ?
??(Quote)
How many more conjured up names are going to be associated with Newcastle? It’s the same every Transfer Window and what happens, Elanga and Ramsey are bought, what a disaster!
Peter Beaumont(Quote)
You have had time to review players before this Window, what’s the new Sporting Director doing? Conspicuous by his anonimity, that has to be a great job.
Peter Beaumont(Quote)
Nobody has ‘publicly released the budget ‘ it’s just Hope speculating as usual!
East Stand(Quote)
What a whinge fest it is on here, a mass head wobble needed. All we hear is the players are rubbish, Howe is rubbish, Wilson is rubbish, the scouts are rubbish, the transfer team are rubbish, the CEO is rubbish. Best of all this wk….the owners are skinflints! Have a look on companies house and see how many hundreds of millions they have put in 😂😂
I never thought the toon were lucky but we must be the luckiest club in history, all this total incompetence but we have gone from relegation certs to a major trophy and 2 CL campaigns in 4 yrs, top 6 this season and still in all the cups 😄😄😄
East Stand(Quote)
👏
It’s like they have forgotten what we had before
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
Mike(Quote)
“Still in all the cups”. Ha ha. Well, you’ve got a couple of weeks left to keep spouting that one…..
The Panther(Quote)
You may be right Panther, but turnarounds happen. Not expecting one. Remind though, when was the last time we were in CL and all three domestic cups in January. Was it two years ago ?and before that ??
PremAndUp(Quote)
It is true though, absolutely 100% fact
East Stand(Quote)
It is also 100% fact that we could win the Premier League. You might was well add that one in as well. If we turn it around at Man City I will metaphorically kiss your rear end.
Shall we meet again in mid February and re-assess the “facts”?
Yes, moaning about stuff while still in the CL and the cups and in the top six (for a few hours) is a first world problem, but the longer time goes by the less effective the “remember where we were” comment becomes. Liverpool fans are moaning this season. Man United fans are moaning. Man City fans are moaning. Even Bournemouth fans are moaning. Surely they should remember where they were?
For me, limping along (literally!) season after season moaning about injuries, “small squad”, too many fixtures etc etc is something that needs addressing, and fast, if we want to be a club that competes on all fronts, as the “facts” say we are doing.
Totteham have problems. They are addressing them, as are Bournemouth. The latter are prepared to hunt around Europe for bargains, as do Brighton. For us, it seems we have to spend £50 million or nothing (yes, yes, Thiaw, I know!). Right now, a couple of £15-18 million signings to help out defensively would be deal.
Another thing. Aston Villa seem quite prepared to sell a player quickly if it isn’t working out – Duran and Malen, not buying Rashford or Asensio. They turn over their squad quite rapidly and the results are clear. Why can’t we accept that Elanga and Ramsey aren’t working out and take the comparative hit?
The Panther(Quote)
If we meet in mid Feb I’m 99.99% sure we will be out of the league cup. And there’s I’d say an 80% chance we will be out of the FA cup too. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m saying we are in both those cups now, on 17th Jan. That’s all. That is true, it’s fact, it’s irrefutable.
Thanks
East Stand(Quote)
On your wider points I get fans everywhere like a moan and it’s more visible these days online but I genuinely think a lot of it is OTT. This site the last few days has been something you’d expect from Wolves or West ham fans imo.
The Villa comparison is interesting, Emery is a continental manager and he’s top class. Like many of them, he’s used to a different culture with less direct control and more player turnover (he’s earned that direct control now though). He’s a very good tactician. Eddie is clearly different, much more a coach and strong at developing players over time. The oft criticised loyalty plays a part in that. It’s different styles. Is Emery better? He might well be, but there’s very little between the two clubs over the last few years (and villa had a better starting squad too). A bit of one better one season then the other. Villa don’t have a trophy and only one CL season so far at least. Ironically we made a big play for emery and he said no of course
That’s why you won’t see Ramsey and elanga sold, it’s not Eddie’s way – at least yet. Ramsey is already improving too
I agree we do need a signing or two and I think that will happen in the last week when things start to move. I suspect Villa will spend their Malen money then too (ps they couldn’t afford to keep arsensio \ rashford when we beat them to the CL, and Duran was desperate for the big money move and the £ got too high to refuse….a bit like the rat)
East Stand(Quote)
the whole transfer window is a shambles E H telling Ross Wilson we do not need anyone just wait and see who is fit and ready to play the back line even fit are that slow could not catch cold just so E H safes money for the PIF makes him look good we will end up with nowt if he keeps playing season after season with the same players and given them new contracts when there finished and his signings in the summer were a joke Elanga E H says supporters are not showing him a lot of love
Keith Richardson(Quote)
East Stand, I fully respect your points and shake your hand. Only time will tell how things pan out. My glass is always half empty 🙂
All the best!
The Panther(Quote)
Whilst I’m generally a glass half full sort of person, I was taught ‘it doesn’t matter whether it’s half full or half empty. It’s what you do with the contents that matters’.
PremAndUp(Quote)
No worries, always enjoy your points on here even if I’m a bit more positive….usually anyway!
Def not saying everything is great, it isnt , just some comments are OTT (and I don’t mean yours btw)
All the best mate
East Stand(Quote)
It blows my mind how many people say ‘just go out and get someone’ as if it’s as easy as grocery shopping or something – I’m guessing these an football manager gamers, coz it’s not that easy in reality.
Who other than City has done any other business yet? – and one was a release clause and the other was player out of contract at the end of the season …. Well why weren’t we in for those these people will ask??
Because City will have been in at their agents, paying huge fees for them to get the deal done – then the small matter of whacking these players on £300k a week – something we know we can’t match.
Last month these people knew better than Howe on how we play – now the window is open they know better than our sporting directors!!.
Seems to me they are wasted posting on blogs like this mind 🙄🖤🤍
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy –
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13488645/transfer-news-january-transfer-window-2026-premier-league-deals-ins-and-outs
Quite a few it seems – West Ham, Tottenham, Palace….
At 67 years old I ain’t no gamer!! I don’t even have a social media presence 🙂
The Panther(Quote)
One totally different point – how is it bloody Callum “not till after the next International break” Wilson has been fit all season. He was never that for us, never. Nor for Bournemouth or Coventry for that matter.
The Panther(Quote)