The Toon army here in the Transfer Tavern are absolutely ecstatic to welcome Mikel Merino to the club on a permanent basis. Indeed, Merino has enjoyed a fantastic beginning to his Premier League career on Tyneside, charming fans with his complete displays alongside Jonjo Shelvey at the centre of the park.

Given the magnitude of the impression he has already made on the Toon faithful, it is no surprise to see his move become permanent, just two months into the year-long loan that was initially agreed with Borussia Dortmund.

It would be an exaggeration to describe Newcastle’s acquisition of the talented Spaniard as a marquee signing, but the quality he brings to the club will certainly boost their aspirations for the season.

The Newcastle contingent in the Tavern have enjoyed their sides recent form, which has seen them claim 11 points from their opening Premier League games, moving into 9th place in the process.

Newcastle dug deep to earn a valuable point at home against Liverpool prior to the international break, a result which underlined their credentials to compete against the top-sides in the division. Rafa Benitez’s men then followed that up with a point away at Southampton, not a bad result.

It would be foolish to make outlandish predictions based on early-season form, however, the manner in which Newcastle have begun the season suggests a top-half finish, or better, could become a realistic ambition as the season unfolds.

If Benitez wants to avoid a relegation dogfight and witness his side compete for qualification into the UEFA Europa League, he will certainly need to add an abundance of talent to his squad in January and beyond.

Benitez should do everything in his power to land these 3 players.

Patrick Roberts

Newcastle’s solid start to the season has not been epitomised by a ruthless cutting-edge in the final-third.

The arrival of right winger Patrick Roberts, a highly promising young prospect at just 20 years of age, would do wonders to increase Newcastle’s potency going forward.

Roberts is currently on loan at current Scottish champions Celtic from Manchester City, and he represents one of Europe’s more affordable young talents.

Roberts is a player who likes to drift into the centre of the pitch onto his stronger left-foot, where he is able to split defences through a combination of dazzling dribbling and incisive passing.

His excellent form for The Hoops throughout his two loan spells have cemented his reputation as a fan-favourite at Celtic Park.

Providing he does not feature in Guardiola’s plans for next season, Newcastle would be mad not to consider bringing him to the North-East.

Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli, one of the most controversial figures in world football, requires little introduction.

A regular fixture on the back pages for all the wrong reasons, his presence could be perceived as more of a burden than an asset.

However, away from the spotlight of the British media, Balotelli has quietly excelled since leaving the Premier League for Ligue 1, scoring 20 times in just 28 appearances for Lucien Favre’s Nice.

A move for the Italian would certainly be a huge gamble, but with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2018, Newcastle should at least be monitoring his situation.

If Benitez is willing to adapt his system to accommodate Balotelli in a front-two, then it could well be third time lucky for him in the Premier League.

Neven Subotic

Successful Premier league teams are built upon solid foundations at the centre of defence, so naturally it is an area that Newcastle should constantly be striving to improve.

Newcastle should have a close eye on forgotten Borussia Dortmund man Neven Subotic, who is yet to feature in the Bundesliga this season.

With his contract set to expire next summer, Subotic appears to be on his way out of the club and potential suitors are lining up in numbers.

He has been linked with several Premier League clubs already this season with Chelsea and Liverpool both reportedly in the hunt for the Serbian’s signature.

Newcastle should join the race for Subotic and bring a quality centre back to Tyneside.