Newcastle United have reportedly now probed to sign Lorenzo Insigne in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Insigne saga continues...

The St James' Park outfit have been linked with a move to sign the Italy forward ever since the completed takeover on Tyneside by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

Rai Radio (via Sport Witness) reported a couple of weeks ago that they will attempt to throw a large amount of money at Insigne in order to try and sign him as a free agent next summer.

However, given that he has still not signed a new deal at Napoli, the Serie A club may want to cash in on their £43.2m-rated star in January at risk of losing him for nothing at the end of his contract.

The Latest: Newcastle probe for Insigne

As per Calciomercato, Newcastle have now 'probed the ground' in order to try and sign Insigne, along with Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, the latter of whom are currently fourth in the Premier League table.

There is reportedly 'no agreement' with Napoli over the extension of his contract, leaving the door potentially open for a January exit.

The Verdict: Difficult

It would be extremely difficult for Newcastle to attract Insigne to Tyneside in January given that they are currently in a relegation battle. With the likes of West Ham and Spurs pushing for European places, they seem likelier destinations for Napoli's captain, even if the Magpies could offer him more money.

Of course, signing a player of his calibre would be quite the coup, given that he has played so many games at the highest level with both club and country. He would improve Eddie Howe's side massively going forward, as he averages more shots in Serie A than any Toon player does in the top flight, while his average key passes (2.1) and dribbles (1.1) per game are only bettered by Matt Ritchie and Allan Saint-Maximin respectively at St James' Park.

Nonetheless, the Italy international would likely be a very difficult player for the Magpies to attract come January.

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