Sky Germany have now revealed that Newcastle United have held transfer talks for Niklas Sule.

The Lowdown: Defensive improvements needed

Before today's round of Premier League games, the St. James' Park club had the second-worst defensive record in the top flight, with 24 goals conceded after 11 matches before they played Brentford (Premier League).

Defensive improvements should threfore be a priority for Eddie Howe and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium in the January transfer window.

However, there are certainly question marks over what kind of calibre of player they can attract, given that they are in a relegation battle at the moment.

The Latest: Sule talks

As per Sky Germany, there have been talks with Newcastle over a potential move for Sule, but they are not his first choice.

However, the Bayern Munich defender wants to move to the Premier League, and talks over a new deal with the Bundesliga giants are stalling.

The Verdict: Unrealistic

Sule is currently at one of the best teams in the world in Bayern, so a move to Tyneside may seems like a downward one to him, even if the Magpies' new owners can sell him their long-term project.

His manager Julian Nagelsmann thinks that he is a 'world-class' player, and given the sheer number of major trophies that the 26-year-old has won over the course of his career already, it is hard to disagree.

Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who has widely been regarded as the best player in the world in his position, even dubbed Sule as a 'fantastic defender' a couple of years ago, which is arguably the biggest compliment possible.

The 6 foot 5 beast would surely thrive in the English top flight, but it seems unlikely that he will do so with Newcastle.

In other news, Newcastle are also eyeing this 6 foot 1 powerhouse