Newcastle transfer news: Toon consider Tielemans and Alvarez for January

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Newcastle United reportedly want to sign a midfielder in January, and will consider moves for Leicester’s Youri Tielemans and Ajax’s Edson Alvarez.

That’s according to the Athletic, who state that Eddie Howe is keen to add a new deep lying midfielder to his squad.

There was talk that one could arrive in the summer, and speculation intensified after Jonjo Shelvey’s injury. Newcastle were linked with various midfielders, but were unable to bring anyone in before the deadline.

Now attentions will turn to January, and the Athletic believe that a new centre-midfielder is high on Howe’s transfer wish list alongside a creative forward.

Tielemans and Alvarez were both linked with Newcastle during the summer. However neither arrived, nor did they go anywhere else. That’s despite interest from elsewhere, with Chelsea trying to land the Mexico international on deadline day.

The duo will be rumoured to be on the move again in January, and they are two players the Magpies are considering.

Newcastle consider Tielemans and Alvarez, but will be extremely difficult to sign

The Athletic state that Newcastle have courted Tielemans for a while and that he is still of interest. As for Alvarez, they write that Steve Nickson has been tracking the 24-year-old.

Both players fit the bill of what Newcastle need, but both will be extremely difficult to sign.

Starting with Tielemans, his contract at Leicester is set to expire next summer. That means January is the Foxes’ last chance to get some money for the Belgian.

While that will help Newcastle’s cause, it will surely mean that a lot of clubs will try to sign him. The 25-year-old also has the option of seeing out his deal and becoming a free agent.

Will the Magpies be in a position to tempt ‘special player‘ Tielemans to St James’ Park? Or will he hold out for a move to a Champions League club? He’s certainly at that level already, which makes him a difficult target for Newcastle.

As for Alvarez, it has already been reported that Chelsea will try to sign him again in January. That might change now that Graham Potter has replaced Thomas Tuchel, but owner Todd Boehly has already proven that he is willing to splash the cash.

Newcastle will struggle to compete with the Blues, which might make Alvarez unobtainable as well.

The Toon recruitment team are setting the bar high with their targets, but that could mean they are setting themselves up for disappointment.