Newcastle United have their backs against the wall in the quest for Premier League survival and you get the sense that the players the club can bring in during the January transfer window will be key.
Magpies boss Steve McClaren has come out fighting with his recruitment and has already pulled off two great pieces of business in Henri Saivet from Bordeaux and Jonjo Shelvey from Swansea City.
Both players have delighted the Magpies faithful present here in the Transfer Tavern and they could be even happier early next week when the club hope to pull off the signing of Spurs winger Andros Townsend, should the two clubs agree on a fee for the player.
With the club likely to carry on with their mid-season spending spree, we look at four other players who could be Newcastle players come the end of the current transfer window.
Hit Townsend below to see FOUR players who could follow him to Newcastle!
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Charlie Austin
The Magpies supporters here in the Transfer Tavern are desperate to see a top-flight proven striker join the ranks and Austin could be just the man.
It is thought that a bid in the region of £8 million will tempt Queens Park Rangers into a sale and given his 18 Premier League goals last season, that could prove a real steal for the Magpies.
McClaren may opt to look elsewhere for a striker but the landlord here in the Tavern thinks Austin and Newcastle United seem like a match made in heaven.
George Thorne
Derby County midfielder Thorne was given a more prominent role in the Rams team under Steve McClaren and he could return to his former club to make an offer for this midfielder.
The Magpies are pretty stocked up in the middle of the park following the arrival of Shelvey but at just 23-years-old Thorne still has the best years ahead of him.
One stumbling block would be the Rams’ reluctance to sell and one Derby supporter here in the Tavern thinks it would be a stupid time to sell one of their best players with promotion a big possibility at this moment in time.
Claudio Beauvue
The Lyon forward has reportedly spoken to the French club about the possibility of leaving and the Premier League seems like a realistic destination for the player.
Aston Villa were said be keen on the player but is likely that he will reject the chance to move to Villa Park based on their perilous league position.
One Newcastle fan here in the Tavern is enjoying an afternoon pint and says he would welcome the French forward and thinks an injection of pace into the Magpies attack is just the attribute needed in the final third of the pitch.
Alexandre Lacazette
Another player Newcastle should look to try and tempt from Lyon is Lacazette with bigger clubs expected to make offers for the player in the summer.
Newcastle could jump to the front of the queue and try to tempt the player into an earlier move to the Premier League bu offering the money which the French club want for the player.
One Magpies fan is eagerly anticipating the karaoke night here in the Transfer Tavern and he thinks the forward should have been Newcastle’s number one target last summer and would happily take the player at St James’ Park any day of the week!
A stumbling block could be wage demands but a signing of this ilk could really signal a statement of intent for next season from the Toon Army.
