Newcastle United are battling several Premier League clubs for the signing of an "incredible" player in January, a fresh transfer report has claimed.
Newcastle's January transfer plans
The Magpies picked up one of their most important wins of the season on Saturday evening, winning 1-0 at home to a much-fancied Arsenal side in a controversial league clash. Eddie Howe's side haven't had it all their own way in 2023/24 to date, however, making a slow start to the season and stalling a little in the Champions League against Dortmund, but the positives have outweighed the negatives.
Perhaps the biggest downside of the season to date is Sandro Tonali's 10-month ban for breaching betting rules, with the Italian's absence for the remainder of the campaign suddenly making Newcastle's squad depth in midfield look significantly weaker.
For that reason, a new midfield signing in the winter window could be at the top of Howe's wishlist, and while some reports have claimed FFP restrictions will prevent Newcastle from making January signings, it appears a bargain option could be on the table.
Newcastle want Wilfred Ndidi
According to a new update from TEAMtalk, Newcastle are one of a host of Premier League clubs keen on signing Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi in the January transfer window.
The report states that Tottenham, Aston Villa and Brentford are also "amongst those who are considering a January approach for Ndidi", with his contract being up next summer meaning Leicester may be forced to cash in on the cheap.
La Liga pair Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are also believed to have "enquired about the midfielder", while Ligue 1 duo Lyon and Monaco are "also keen" on snapping up the Foxes ace.
Ndidi may be playing the Championship at the moment, which could put some Newcastle supporters off the idea of signing him, but he is clearly a Premier League-level player who happens to be in the second tier for the time being.
Ndidi's statistics so far this season show how much he is shining for a Leicester side who are currently top of the Championship table, registering three assists in ten league appearances, as well as averaging 1.5 tackles per game in the competition, which is of course his bread and butter.
The 26-year-old could be a really astute signing by Newcastle in January, not least because he has plenty of Premier League football under his belt, while former Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers once hailed him as "incredible" in the past, saying:
"He is an incredible player. The offensive players get the credit but he does the dirty work. He has this brain for the game, where he can smell danger and always finds himself there. The timing of his challenge is very good and he's up there with the top players at winning the ball back."
Ndidi could help fill the Tonali-shaped void between January and the end of the season on the cheap, so the nature of the transfer would make it less of a risk.