Two transfers Newcastle could still make by deadline day – including £20m ex-Arsenal man

Newcastle United have had a quiet January so far, and with Eddie Howe at pains to repeatedly point out that the Premier League’s financial rules are restricting their spending. The message being sent is that they don’t plan to do much business before the transfer deadline.

That message may not prove to be entirely truthful, however. The sale of Alexander Isak last summer puts Newcastle in a stronger than usual PSR position and reporting from The Chronicle suggests that the club could spend as much as £200m over the next two transfer windows and remain within the limits of the current rules. Meanwhile, a rash of injuries big and small has strained their depth in defence and midfield and could force a rethink of their transfer strategy.

Newcastle have signalled that it is unlikely that they will make a major splash before the deadline passes, but if one or two of their long-term transfer targets become available then it would be unsurprising to see the Magpies swoop. Here are the two deals that could still get done before the window shuts.

£20m former Arsenal man becomes a late option for Newcastle

Injuries in defence have sharpened the focus on the need for fresh blood at full-back, and with Kieran Trippier likely to leave at the end of the season, Newcastle could easily move for one of their long-term targets in that position if the price is right.

One player they have been watching for some time is 20-year-old Club Brugge left-back Joaquin Seys, but at present it looks unlikely that the Belgian side are prepared to sell for a reasonable fee until the summer. Another name on their list, Toulouse’s Dayann Methalie, has recently undergone knee surgery, making a winter bid exceptionally improbable.

Another name reported to be in the frame and who could be a more sensible target is Genoa right-back Brooke Norton-Cuffy, an Arsenal academy product and one of the stars of England Under-21’s successful European Championship campaign in Slovakia last summer.

Reports from online media outlets including FootballFanCast claim that Genoa have told interest parties – who also include Everton – that a bid of £20m would be accepted. That could offer a starting point for negotiations which Newcastle would deem acceptable, with the 22-year-old’s dynamic overlapping play potentially providing a strong counterbalance to Lewis Hall on the left.

It’s worth noting that none of the more reliable media sources have yet corroborated that alleged price tag, and if Genoa wanted much more money then it’s likely that Newcastle would wait. But with Trippier getting close to his swan song and Tino Livramento spending a worrying amount of time on the treatment table, Norton-Cuffy could be a realistic addition who satisfies short and long-term needs.

Midfielders on the radar before January transfer window closes

Two other positions of immediate concern are centre-half and central midfield, but as it stands there are few strong stories linking Newcastle to any central defenders, suggesting that it’s a position of need which will be addressed in the summer. Although the Magpies have been linked with the likes of Giorgio Scalvini and Stefan de Vrij, both deals are currently seen as too expensive for the January window.

It’s more likely that Newcastle add a new midfielder, although that would almost certainly be contingent on them finding a buyer for Joe Willock. Nottingham Forest have been touted as potential suitors for Willock, who has fallen down the pecking order at St. James’ Park, and while a deal is far from certain, his departure could pave the way for Newcastle to add some depth to a stretched midfield.

Newcastle have been regularly linked with Inter Milan and Italy’s Davide Frattesi over the past 12 months, with the technically-gifted midfielder finding minutes increasingly hard to come by at the San Siro. While reports concerning his cost have varied considerably, there is no doubt that Frattesi is on the market, and a loan-to-buy deal is a possibility.

That would suit Newcastle’s financial situation, and any purchase option included would likely be affordable enough come the summer. Inter are not a straightforward team to negotiate with and there is no guarantee that an agreement could be reached, but Frattesi is more likely than most of the alternatives to strike a balance between cost and quality.

Another player believed to be on Newcastle’s radar is Atalanta’s Éderson, who has been linked with a move to Tyenside again in recent days - but it’s unlikely that Atalanta are prepared to sell mid-season for a price which Newcastle would be happy to pay. That remains a deal which could be revisited in the summer.