Huge triple Newcastle swoop on the cards as Howe ‘shortlists’ Ligue 1 pair and targets Crystal Palace star

Newcastle United could end up landing three new players in the January transfer window, as a journalist has detailed their interest in Lyon’s Rayan Cherki, as well as two more stars.

Newcastle had a big summer, as they brought in Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento. Tonali, Barnes and Livramento all arrived on permanent deals worth a combined £134million, while Hall moved to St James’ Park on an initial loan. As per Sky Sports, the loan will become permanent next summer for an initial £28m, plus an extra £7m in potential add-ons.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe will have been extremely excited about those four new arrivals. Tonali and Barnes are two players who can make an impact in the biggest of matches, while Hall and Livramento are both talented young players who will almost certainly come into the starting eleven in the future.

However, Newcastle have been rocked by Tonali’s ban for breaching betting regulations during his time in Italy. The 23-year-old has been banned for 10 months and will not be able to play for Newcastle again until August 2024. He will also miss Euro 2024, should Italy qualify for the tournament.

Tonali’s absence has forced Newcastle to consider January reinforcements in the midfield area. Some of their top targets include former Wolves captain Ruben Neves, who is currently playing for Al Hilal, Manchester United star Scott McTominay and Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips.

But according to French journalist Ignazio Genuardi, Newcastle could go down a different transfer path. Rather than landing a direct replacement for Tonali, it is claimed the Magpies are instead planning on signing two new midfielders who can perform different roles.

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Genuardi states that attacking midfielder Cherki has been ‘shortlisted’ by Newcastle boss Howe. The 20-year-old could be on the move next year as his contract is due to expire in June 2025. Cherki was left out of the Lyon squad for the clash against Marseille on Sunday, though the match was ultimately postponed after the Lyon bus was hit by rocks on its way to the game.

Cherki is no longer a guaranteed starter at Lyon and he could therefore push to find a new club in January. While it would also be hard for him to hold down a starting spot at Newcastle, he could impress while Tonali is out.

Newcastle want Thuram, Andersen in addition to Cherki

Newcastle are also eyeing a defensive midfielder who can play slightly behind Cherki. Genuardi states they are interested in Nice star Khephren Thuram, who was courted by Liverpool over the summer before the Reds ended up moving for different targets.

And Newcastle are also in the market for a new centre-back who will be able to become Sven Botman’s long-term partner, with Fabian Schar now 31 years old. Their ideal signing for that role is Palace’s Joachim Andersen, who has earned plenty of praise amid his solid partnership with Marc Guehi.

If this claim is to be believed, then Palace are at risk of losing both their first-choice centre-backs. While Andersen has appeared on Newcastle’s radar, Guehi is being hunted by the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

It makes sense that Newcastle have been linked with Cherki, Thuram and Andersen. They have the spending power needed to buy all three players in one window, thanks to their backing from the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

However, Newcastle chiefs are cautious of avoiding Financial Fair Play breaches. As such, it is more likely Newcastle will sign either one, or both, of those midfield targets, while saving the move for Andersen for next summer.

Meanwhile, City have set a staggeringly high price tag for Phillips amid Newcastle’s interest, according to reports.