Newcastle United may raid Premier League rivals Aston Villa to reunite new manager Eddie Howe with defender Tyrone Mings in the January transfer window, according to Marca.
The Magpies’ new Saudi-led hierarchy will back Howe in the mid-season market after hiring the former Bournemouth boss on Monday. Replacing Steve Bruce at St James’ Park on a two-and-a-half-year contract, with the club winless and 19th in the table.
Newcastle owners, Saudi’s Public Investment Fund, Amanda Staveley and the Reuben brothers, have made avoiding relegation the priority for Howe’s first season in charge.
So, the Toon have drawn up an early five-man shortlist of possible targets for the upcoming January sales. Four of whom reports have already linked with moves to St James’.
Defensive concerns have made a transfer for a new centre-back a high priority for Howe at Newcastle. Bayern Munich ace Niklas Sule remains an option, with his contract expiring at the end of the season. While Aston Villa captain Mings also has his admirers on Tyneside.
The Toon are also considering signing Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos and Manchester United outcast Donny van de Beek. While Jesse Lingard is in the running, as well, with the England international – like Sule – a free agent next June.
Newcastle are considering reuniting Howe with his former Bournemouth defender, Mings, as the centre-back has enjoyed a strong rise since a £20m transfer to Aston Villa in 2019.
Should Newcastle plot January transfer for Aston Villa defender Mings?
Mings has impressed at Aston Villa with his leadership, and could bring physicality and extra pace to the Newcastle backline. He has also shown quality on the ball since Howe sold the 15-cap Three Lions enforcer to the Birmingham outfit.
“I thought he was excellent,” Dean Smith, who Aston Villa sacked on Sunday, said of Mings, via their club website.
“He showed a lot of composure on the ball. His distribution was good. He defended well.”
Villa will be loath to lose the 28-year-old, who is under contract until 2024 after signing an £80k-a-week, four-year extension last September.
The Villans captain has started nine of his 10 Premier League games so far this season. But has not been faultless, leading Smith to drop Mings against West Ham United last month.
Smith felt Aston Villa stood a better chance of winning without Mings, who has given away sloppy fouls, been wasteful in possession and lacked leadership this season – areas that are generally his strengths and why Howe would consider a transfer to reunite at Newcastle.
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