Newcastle enter battle with Arsenal for former Liverpool target who scored against Magpies in Champions League

Eddie Howe is expected to enter the winter market to bolster his side’s midfield options as the club faces up to the challenges of a huge injury crisis.

The Magpies have started the season well and still find themselves seventh in the Premier League table, but recent injury problems have threatened to derail the club’s hopes of success and back-to-back 2-0 defeats to Borussia Dortmund and Bournemouth have highlighted some of the team’s weaknesses in terms of squad depth.

Newcastle’s defeat to Dortmund was their second in the Champions League with the German giants also registering a 1-0 victory at St James’ Park earlier in the campaign.

One man who missed the first fixture was the club’s top scorer Julian Brandt, but he made his impact known in the reverse fixture when he returned to the lineup to score his side’s second goal.

Brandt’s goal was a clinical finish inside the box after a counter-attack, which was a great reward for an excellent all-round performance. The 27-year-old has treated the Dortmund faithful to many of these performances over the years, particularly last term when he earned a place in the Bundesliga Team of The Season.

Brandt has been on the books at Dortmund since 2019, but he very nearly made the move to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in 2017 before Mohamed Salah’s arrival.

The Newcastle Chronicle claims that Klopp favoured a move for Brandt over the Egyptian at the time, but the footballer opted to remain in Germany rather than make the move.

The ex-Bayer Leverkusen star still has a number of admirers from English clubs and the Daily Mirror claim both Newcastle and Arsenal are hoping to sign the footballer, who is currently under contract until 2026.

Dortmund have previously sold the likes of Erling Haaland, Jude Bellinham and Manuel Akanji who have all gone on to have successful careers - could Brandt follow in their footsteps?