Newcastle United eye move for in-form Serie A midfielder as ex-Chelsea star remains on the radar

Newcastle United’s sporting director Dan Ashworth has claimed the club are on an ‘upward trajectory’ as he hints at further activity in the January transfer window.

Ashworth’s interview comes just days after Newcastle’s victory over Arsenal, in a week which also saw the Magpies eliminate Carabao Cup holders Manchester United.

Speaking to the BBC, Ashworth said: “For the next number of years (our target) is to fight and get into the top six on a regular basis and compete for trophies. We are on an upward trajectory, but there are definitely some bumps in the road and that is the nature of football - but we are on the right pathway.”

Ashworth also spoke of the importance of trying to constantly evolve and improve. He added: “Complacency is a dangerous thing isn’t it? Certainly there’s no complacency here. We want to keep striving and keep pushing. If you start to stand still in professional sport, you’re stuffed. It’s about keeping on pushing and driving in all areas of the football club.”

Ashworth’s interview comes just months before the start of the transfer window and it is likely that the Magpies will once again be active in their pursuit of improvement.

With that in mind NewcastleWorld has rounded up all of the latest transfer headlines from St James’ Park.

Newcastle eye move for Serie A midfielder (Tuttosport)

Sandro Tonali’s long-term ban from football leaves a void in Newcastle’s midfield, which could be detrimental to the club’s hopes of success as they compete in multiple competitions.

Newcastle are reportedly exploring a number of different moves, including potential Saudi loan deals for Ruben Neves and Gabri Veiga. Another name that is high on Newcastle’s list of potential recruits is believed to be Teun Koopmeiners as reported by TuttoSport.

Koopmeiners is a 25-year-old Dutch midfielder who is a regular starter for Serie A side Atalanta. Last season he scored 10 goals from 33 appearances and helped his side to a fifth place finish.

The 17-time Netherlands international was initially regarded as a defensive midfielder and he made his first team breakthrough with AZ Alkmaar in 2017.

Koopmeiners is blessed with great intelligence and was able to fill in as both a central defender and a defensive midfielder during his first three years at Alkmaar. However, in his last seasons with the club he played in a more advanced role, scoring 15 goals in 31 games during his final season.

The midfielder has spent two seasons with Atlanta and has scored 17 times in 90 appearances, whilst providing 10 assists. He is quickly developing a reputation as one of the top box to box midfielders in the league.

Football Oranje estimates the player’s value to be around £60m, which could be a stumbling point for the Magpies given FFP regulations.

Newcastle remain interested in former Chelsea defender (Sports ES)

Newcastle star Sven Botman has struggled with injuries this season which has commonly led to the club using a partnership of Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar.

The pair have looked solid together in recent weeks, but given the recent injury to Dan Burn, there is a growing concern that there is a shortage of centre back options at the club, particularly ones who could cope with the demands of Champions League football.

Newcastle could look to rectify this issue in the January transfer window by signing a defender with top tier experience and Spanish outlet Sports ES claims the Magpies have an eye on Andreas Christensen of Barcelona.

Christensen was a product of the Chelsea academy who enjoyed a ten-year-stint at the club from 2012 to 2022. The Danish defender amassed over 100 first team appearances for the Blues and was a member of the team which lifted the Champions League in 2021.

The 6ft2 defender joined Barcelona at the end of his contact and played 23 times as the Catalan giants won La Liga in his first season.

Christensen’s lack of regular game time attracted interest from Newcastle in the summer, but Barcelon were quick to knock back any interest for the player. However, Eddie Howe is believed to be an admirer of the player and remains ‘very interested’ in bringing him to the club, according to Sport Witness.