Newcastle United are reportedly now targeting a move for Moussa Dembele in the January transfer window alongside both Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman.

The Lowdown: Goalscorer

Wherever he has been, Dembele has always been a goalscorer, as he has found the back of the net on no fewer than 119 occasions in total for various clubs over the course of his senior career so far, and has even notched up 23 strikes at youth level with France (Transfermarkt).

He first started to catch the eye at Celtic, which then got him his big £19.8m move to Lyon. At the Hoops, Dembele scored 51 times and made a further 18 assists in 94 games over all competitions across three consecutive seasons at Parkhead (Transfermarkt), and even received high praise from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who once dubbed him 'exceptional'.

Nonetheless, after a largely unsuccessful loan spell at Atletico Madrid last term, in where he winning the La Liga title, the striker could well be on the move again.

The Latest: Targeted

As per The Daily Mail, the St. James' Park faithful are now targeting a move for Dembele in the January transfer window, alongside pursuing Trippier and Botman.

However, due to their involvement in a relegation battle in the Premier League, they may only be able to strike a loan deal, with an option to buy at the end of the campaign once they learn their fate.

Lucas Digne is another player who has been discussed, but the Everton left-back is reportedly holding out for other teams to show interest.

The Verdict: Perfect on loan

A loan deal for Dembele would be perfect, as if they do get relegated, the North East club could just then send him back to Lyon.

Nonetheless, he would offer a viable alternative to Callum Wilson, who needs help up front as their top scorer this season with six goals.

The 25-year-old could also link up well with another former France youth international in Allan Saint-Maximin, and given that he has the experience of playing in English football already with Fulham, he should be able to hit the ground running straight away.

In other news, find out which new Director of Football candidate has emerged here!