Newcastle United are now close to signing ‘monster’ defender

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It will be fascinating to see what happens at Newcastle United this month.

Eddie Howe appears to have stumbled across a winning formula of late, with Newcastle moving up to fifth in the Premier League table while also having eyes on reaching another Carabao Cup final.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
4	ChelseaChelsea	19	10	5	4	38	23	15	35
5	NewcastleNewcastle	19	9	5	5	32	21	11	32
6	Man CityManchester City	19	9	4	6	32	26	6	31

Key:

Position 1 – 4 : Champions League
Position 5 : UEFA Europa League
Position 18 – 20 : Relegation

Indeed, that has not been easy for the Newcastle United manager. Howe did not see his squad strengthened last summer and a number of elite players at the club are said to have been unsettled.

To have turned things around even after such a poor summer window is a remarkable feat of coaching.

Still, it would be nice to see Newcastle go out and strengthen this month. As good as Howe has been, he cannot be expected to keep performing relative miracles.

While money is said to be tight at the club amid PSR limitations, a promising update has now emerged in regards to one particular target.

Abdukodir Khusanov has been linked with a move to the club and the latest news surrounding the defender is positive.

Newcastle United are closing in on the signing of Abdukodir Khusanov

According to iNews, one source actually believes a deal to sign the Lens defender is close.

Khusanov – hailed as a “monster” by teammate Brice Samba – has also been linked with a move to Tottenham but this report suggests a deal to take him to Newcastle may be close.

• READ MORE: All of Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United signings, ranked

Abdukodir Khusanov signing would end Marc Guehi saga at Newcastle

Were Newcastle to sign a promising young defender such as Khusanov, it’s difficult to imagine them then going out and renewing attempts to land Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.

While the club are believed to remain interested in the England defender, it’s hard to see two defenders arriving in the space of just a few months.

With Sven Botman close to returning, options have already been boosted.