Newcastle United hold secret weapon over Barcelona in race to sign Premier League star

Newcastle United may already hold a secret weapon in their reported bid to land Wolves star Ruben Neves.

The Magpies could add another significant piece to their squad during the January transfer window, well aware they have a big opportunity to return to Europe, and maybe even the Champions League. Eddie Howe’s men are performing superbly, currently in third place, but we still have more than half of the season still to play.

One position they could supplment is the defensive midfield role, particularly with Jonjo Shelvey struggling with injuries this season. And the Daily Mail believe Wolves star Ruben Neves could be an option, with the Portuguese star having just 18 months remaining on his current contract.

Neves has also been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent times, with Xavi Hernandes reportedly wanting to bolster the pivot roles in his midfield. But it’s Newcastle who may well hold the upper-hand, and not just because of the financial advantage they hold over cash-broke Barca.

According to Football Insider, Wolves are interested in signing Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles after seeing an offer for West Ham’s Craig Dawson rejected. Lascelles has featured sparingly so far this season, making just four league appearances, and he may well be allowed to leave if has the chance of playing regular football elsewhere.

Though, with Wolves eyeing an £8million bid, Newcastle may spot an opportunity to use Lascelles to discount a possible deal for Neves. Naturally, Wolves are not going to want to lose Neves in this window, especially given their fight against relegation - and they have already been bold in improving their squad this month.

But if Wolves are short on defensive options and they need to land Lascelles, Newcastle could play hardball to get their man, giving them another big advantage over Barca, or indeed any other interested club.