Newcastle United chief Nick Hammond is reportedly now preparing an offer to sign Jordan Veretout in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Window opens

The winter window has now officially opened, and Hammond is sure to be a busy man.

Hired as a transfer consultant on a short-term deal, he will oversee who comes in and who goes out at St James' Park (Sky Sports) as the northeast club look to find the right players in order to try and help them get out of the relegation zone come the end of the season.

Nonetheless, the quality of player that they can attract will be questioned, given their current predicament.

The Latest: Veretout offer

As per Foot Mercato, Newcastle are now 'preparing an offer' to sign Veretout, who is an 'indisputable holder' under Jose Mourinho at AS Roma.

It is not clear how much he would cost, but he is currently rated at £27m by Transfermarkt.

The Verdict: Upgrade

Veretout would certainly be an upgrade on Eddie Howe's options in the middle of the park.

The France international is averaging more interceptions (1.1), key passes (two) and crosses (1.2) per game than Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey and Sean Longstaff in their respective domestic leagues so far this season, not to mention the four goals and five assists that he has in Serie A (WhoScored).

He also has experience of playing in the Premier League before with Aston Villa, so he should have no problems in adapting to the division if he goes to Newcastle.

In other news, NUFC have a 'definite interest' in signing this England international