Newcastle United want to sign Youri Tielemans from Leicester City this month, with Eddie Howe keen to bring in a midfielder.
That is according to the Telegraph, who recently claimed that the Belgian is one of two players on the Magpies’ midfield shortlist for the January transfer window. The other is Moises Caicedo, although a move for the Ecuadorian is seen as a longshot.
Tielemans could be more attainable given the fact that his contract at the King Power Stadium expires in the summer. That means this month is Leicester’s last chance to get some money for the man they paid £32million for in 2019.
The 25-year-old, who has been described as ‘special‘ by former teammate Wes Morgan, has been linked with a move to Newcastle for a while now. He could be a great addition to Howe’s side, and could form a lethal partnership with Bruno Guimaraes.
However, there is no guarantee that Newcastle will be able to do a deal. For all our wealth, there doesn’t appear to be a huge amount of money to spend during the January transfer window. That could hinder our bid for Tielemans, who missed out on a move to Arsenal during the summer due to his excessive wage demands.
That could also prove to be an issue for Newcastle in 2023. But we suddenly have an ace up our sleeve in this transfer pursuit.
Dubravka interest can help Newcastle sign Tielemans this month
While there is a lot of talk surrounding incomings, there could also be outgoings from Newcastle this month.
Martin Dubravka’s future is up in the air, after he was recalled from his loan spell with Manchester United. The Slovakian was back on the Newcastle bench on Tuesday night, providing backup for Nick Pope during the 0-0 draw with Arsenal.
However, it is unclear whether or not Dubravka will stay at St James’ Park beyond this month. He needs to be playing regular football, and has interest from Leicester.
That is according to the Daily Mail, who believe that the Foxes have expressed an interest in signing him in the coming weeks. They are certainly in the market for a goalkeeper, having lost Kasper Schmeichel at the start of the season. Danny Ward has taken his place as first choice, but has been inconsistent in between the sticks.
Dubravka could be a much more reliable option, and a deal with Leicester could possibly impact Newcastle’s bid for Tielemans. The Belgium international would be slightly cheaper if the move saw Dubravka go the other way. And it would also get the 33-year-old off the wage bill.
Given how well Pope is doing, it is clear that Dubravka has no future at St James’ Park – unless he wants to play second fiddle.
That isn’t going to suit him, which is why he left at the start of the season for Man United. That move didn’t work out, but a transfer to Leicester could be much more beneficial.
And it could potentially help make Tielemans more affordable for Newcastle.
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