Idrissa Gueye and Georginio Wijnaldum have emerged as potential targets for Newcastle United ahead of the January transfer window, the Athletic report.
Gueye to Newcastle?
Newcastle are looking to bolster their midfield options next month and a whole host of names have been linked.
Wijnaldum has recently been touted as an ambitious target and the Athletic confirm that Newcastle are ‘observing’ his current situation.
Gueye, meanwhile, has also apparently been touted as a potential option in Newcastle recruitment meetings.
Gueye is a far more regular starter for PSG than Wijnaldum, but the French club may be open to a sale given his advancing years.
The defensive midfielder is now 32, but is previous stint in the Premier League with Everton and Aston Villa was highly impressive.
Good signing?
If he was to arrive at Newcastle he could offer their defence more protection and his boundless energy would also aid them in relegation scrap.
The tough tackling Senegalese midfielder would surely command a sizeable wage, but Newcastle’s new found riches may mean that he is an obtainable target.
He would immediately come into competition with the likes of Isaac Hayden and Jonjo Shelvey for a place, but would likely offer an upgrade on any of the Magpies’ current picks in midfield.
One potential drawback in the transfer is that Gueye, who has been hailed by Mauricio Pochettino this season and called ‘amazing’ previously by Morgan Schneiderlin, is set to travel to the African Cup of Nations.
That means that even if Newcastle did sign him next month they may not be able to call on him until February and also limits the amount of time he would have to bed in with new teammates.
With Newcastle desperately needing to pick up speed quickly in January to avoid relegation, that does make the transfer look a risk.
But given Gueye’s quality it may be that he is seen as too strong an option to turn down, should the opportunity to sign him arise.
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