Newcastle United chief spotted on scouting mission as Man United transfer target responds

Atalanta BC midfielder Ederson is being scouted by Newcastle United. (Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)

Newcastle United head of recruitment Steve Nickson was in Italy earlier this week casting his eye over a potential transfer target.

Nickson is understood to have attended Atalanta BC v Frosinone on Monday night to watch Ederson. The Brazilian midfielder played 81 minutes and scored Atalanta's second goal in their 5-0 victory.

United boss Eddie Howe is keen to bolster his squad before the end of the January transfer window but accepts that might not possible as the club complies with Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). But if given the go ahead to recruit, the midfield has been identified as a priority.

As it stands, United only have three fit senior midfielders in Sean Longstaff, 17-year-old Lewis Miley and Bruno Guimaraes, who is just one Premier League yellow card away from serving a two-match ban. It is feared Joelinton will need to undergo groin surgery and therefore miss the rest of the season, while Joe Willock and Elliot Anderson are also unavailable through injury currently. Summer signing Sandro Tonali is suspended from football until August.

Newcastle, along with Crystal Palace and West Ham United, have approached Manchester City over signing Kalvin Phillips on loan for the remainder of the campaign but a deal won't happen unless the Premier League champions lower their demands. The England international is open to moving to St James' Park as he seeks regular game time.

In a quiet transfer window so far, Ederson is the latest name to be linked with Newcastle. According to i News, the 24-year-old has drawn comparisons to Joelinton but similar to Phillips - whether a deal can be reached this month is unclear.

Ederson is typically viewed as a 'No.6' but has shown a keen eye for goal this term with six goals in 27 appearances. Asked about his future recently, the midfielder, who has also been linked with Manchester United, said: "Being looked for by big clubs like Juventus? "This is normal when the transfer market opens, for some situations to come up. It happened in Brazil, it happened when I was at Salernitana.

"For me it's better this way, it means that I'm doing well and that there are many people watching me. It always happens with the market, but the most important thing is to do well at Atalanta and I'm doing very well here."