‘Target the best’ - Alan Shearer names his ideal Newcastle United signing ahead of January transfer window

Newcastle United icon Alan Shearer has urged his former club to target the ‘very best’ striker that is available in the January transfer window as the Magpies target a return to European football.

Eddie Howe’s side boasted one of the best attacking records in the division with an incredible 85 goals in 38 league matches last season, but have struggled to hit the same heights this year with just 10 goals in 10 league matches.

Injuries to Alexander Isak have at times led to Anthony Gordon playing in a makeshift centre forward role while Newcastle’s second highest goalscorer of the Premier League era Callum Wilson has barely got onto the pitch throughout the entirety of the calendar year.

Shearer believes at this moment in time, Newcastle are over reliant on Isak, who is beginning to find form again this season with three goals in three games.

He feels that Howe should look to add a second top-class attacker to Newcastle’s frontline and has told the club to make a bold move for Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres after his hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League.

The Swedish striker, who plays alongside Isak at international level, has been the subject of rumours linking him with a reunion with Amorim at Manchester United but the Portuguese coach insisted he wouldn’t disrespect his former club by making an approach in the January window.

He said, via Manchester World: “It was tough for me to leave, if I start joking about that with Gyokeres, I’ll have problems. This is my city, this is my country, I will respect.

“Viktor has to stay until the end of the season and then his life is going, maybe, somewhere else.” 

Shearer has claimed with Manchester United out the picture Newcastle should make a bold approach for the striker, who has already netted 23 times in all competitions this term.

He told The Athletic: “I would definitely be targeting a centre forward, a right sided forward and probably a centre half. Those are the three priority positions.

“I’m biased, but those forward roles feels like the most important where there is little cover for Alexander Isak.

“Who exactly? It depends on how much Newcastle can spend. There’s Viktor Gyokeres smashing goals in left, right and centre at Sporting Lisbon.

“Manchester United have appointed Ruben Amorim, but he says he won’t be signing players from his former club in January. You have to target the best - and he (Gyokeres) is the best option at the moment.”