Nick Hammond is reportedly now targeting a move for Diego Carlos in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Hammond busy

With the winter market open, Hammond is set to be a busy man at St. James' Park over the next few weeks.

He has been hired as a transfer consultant on a short-term deal, and will oversee who comes in and who goes out in the North East this month (Sky Sports), with Kieran Trippier already looking like one player who is coming through the door.

Nonetheless, with the Tyneside outfit currently in the relegation zone, the spending will surely not stop there, as they bid to survive in the Premier League come the end of the season.

The Latest: Carlos targeted

As per The Daily Telegraph, Carlos is now being targeted by Hammond for the Magpies, as a potential alternative to Sven Botman.

They have reportedly already had one bid pushed back for the Netherlands international, and so Carlos may be seen as an easier player to get.

The Verdict: Do it now

With just a few weeks of the window to come, and the fact that they are in the drop zone, the Toon simply cannot afford to wait around.

Thus, if a deal can be done for Carlos now, then they need to act upon it.

Nicknamed 'The Beast', the 28-year-old is a no-nonsense central defender that would certainly be up for a relegation dogfight.

He even famously rattled Lionel Messi in a draw between Sevilla and FC Barcelona last season, showing the kind of character that will be needed if Eddie Howe's team are to pick up the points that they need to stay up.

Currently rated at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, Carlos would likely not come cheap, but if Botman becomes unattainable, then he is certainly not a bad alternative for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

In other news, find out which 'quality' colossus NUFC are now eyeing here!