BBC radio pundit Alan Hutton has backed Newcastle United to beat their Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the signing of Barcelona attacker Memphis Depay. 

The Lowdown: Newcastle linked with Depay

Earlier this month, it was reported that Newcastle are looking to tempt the Dutchman to leave the Catalan club in January and return to England after his previous stint in the Premier League with Manchester United.

In November, it was claimed that Tottenham were keeping an eye on Depay during the recent World Cup to evaluate a potential January move for him.

Now that the winter market is due to open shortly, the Magpies have been backed to come out on top in their potential efforts to sign the Barcelona maverick.

The Latest: Newcastle backed to beat Spurs to Depay

Hutton was asked by Football Insider if he felt that Newcastle could fend off his former club in the race for Depay's signature.

The former Scotland defender replied: "Probably at this moment in time. You watch their games and the way they play, it is really exciting football.

"They are full of confidence, they are going places and taking steps in the right direction. Building it slowly and not just jumping in with two feet and trying to spend loads of money.

"You can see that they are all playing together. There is going to come a time when they are going to have to add quality to try and really compete.

"Depay kind of frustrates me because he is full of ability, it has not quite worked for him. Is he going to fit into the way that they play? They are very high energy and I do not know if that suits him."

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The Verdict: A risk for Newcastle

Having spent the majority of the 2022/23 season either on the bench or ruled out with injury, the 28-year-old didn't really stand out for Netherlands during the recent World Cup, earning a rather underwhelming overall performance rating of 6.52/10 from WhoScored.

Despite previously being hailed for his "magnificent" performances for his country by Sky Sports commentator Gary Taphouse, the 28-year-old's efforts in Qatar ended with 12 of his fellow countrymen getting higher WhoScored ratings than him.

With that in mind and Hutton's apprehension as to whether Depay would suit the Magpies' style of play, we feel that irrespective of the financial aspects, a move for the Dutchman in January could be a risk for the Tyneside club.