Five top European youngsters that Newcastle United should look to sign ahead of the January window

Newcastle United were one of the Premier League’s quietest teams in terms of incomings in the summer, but it was not for the want of trying after a frustrating transfer window which was dominated by numerous failed bids for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi and a rejected offer for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga.

In the end, Newcastle entered the 2024/25 season with an incredibly strong team, but also a lack of depth in a number of key areas - including centre back, right wing and centre forward.

These are issues that Newcastle United, with the help of newly appointed sporting director Paul Mitchell, will look to rectify in the upcoming January window or potentially even next summer.

Under the guidance of Eddie Howe, Newcastle have historically used the domestic market to their advantage with the signings of Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento, Harvey Barnes, and Anthony Gordon all coming from fellow Premier League or Championship sides.

However, signings such as Sven Botman, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak are all examples of how Newcastle can use the European market to their advantage. 

With that in mind, we take a look at five of the best young European targets that Newcastle United could look to target.

Malick Thiaw - AC Milan

AC Milan centre back Malick Thiaw was the subject of rampant speculation linking him with a move to St James’ Park throughout last summer.

The 22-year-old German international has enjoyed two excellent seasons at the San Siro since arriving from Schalke and has also filled in at right-back and defensive midfield on occasion.

Like Sven Botman, he is an imposing defensive presence that stands at 6ft 4in, he is blessed with excellent pace, strength and thrives in aerial duels as he proved with his recent goal against Real Madrid in Europe.

Shields Gazette understands the Magpies had a bid rejected for the German over the summer, with Milan reportedly demanding around £35m.

Piero Hincapié: Bayer Leverkusen

Xabi Alonso is believed to be on his way out of Bayer Leverkusen in the summer which could potentially unsettle a number of the club’s prize assets including defender Piero Hincapie.

The 22-year-old Ecuador international played 43 times for Alonso’s invincible team last season and is proven against Europe's elite after helping the team to a Europa League final.

Hincapie is a great ball playing centre back, who is also more than capable of filling in and playing as a left back.

Ousmane Diomande: Sporting CP

Ivory Coast international Ousmane Diomande made a name for himself two season ago when he produced two impressive performances against Arsenal in the Europa League as Sporting progressed to the quarter-final on penalties.

The 20-year-old defender has been a key component in Manchester United-bound Ruben Amorim’s impressive stint in the Portuguese capital and is renowned for his composure on the ball, defensive awareness and his ability to drive out of defence with the ball at his feet and start attacks with his excellent strength, pace and dribbling ability.

He did an excellent job of containing Erling Haaland in the second half of Sporting’s 4-1 victory over Manchester City and is tipped to be a huge star in years to come.

Jamie Gittens: Borussia Dortmund

Former Manchester City and Chelsea academy star Jamie Gittens is the latest young English footballer to make a name for himself in the Bundesliga.

The 20-year-old was promoted into the Borussia Dortmund team in 2022 after a string of impressive performances in the UEFA Youth League and has remained a part of the team at Signal Iduna Park ever since.

The winger, who won Under-19 European Championship with England in the same year as his senior debut, showed signs of promise in his first three seasons at Dortmund, particularly last term where he registered a goal and an assist in a fantastic 3-1 victory away to AC Milan en route to the Champions League final.

However, this year he’s taken his game to new heights, with a record of five goals and two assists in 16 appearances across all competitions, including goals against Real Madrid, Club Brugge and Celtic in the Champions League and a double against Eintracht Frankfurt on the opening day.

He’s blessed with exceptional trickery, speed and the ability to play either side. His value appears to be growing with each passing week, but as it stands Football Insider believes £50m will be enough to secure his services, which is a similar figure to what Newcastle are believed to have put in for Anthony Elanga.

Jonathan David - Lille

While a lot of the transfer talk in the Premier League is centred around the availability of Sporting marksman Viktor Gyokeres, a younger cheaper alternative for Newcastle United could prove to be Lille star Jonathan David.

The Canadian international has hit double figures in every year since turning professional in 2018 and last year enjoyed one of his most productive seasons to date with 25 goals across all competitions - including three in the Champions League.

Since Kylian Mbappe’s departure to Real Madrid, David has been considered the best striker in Ligue 1, he is blessed with incredible pace, excellent movement and brilliant composure in front of goal.

So far this term, he has registered 16 goals across all competitions and has notably found the net against the likes of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.

The 24-year-old is a top target for a number of teams and could even be available on a free transfer by the summer as he enters the final months of his deal at the Stade Pierre Mauroy.

The likes of Sven Botman, Mathieu Debuchy and Yohan Cabaye have all made the move from Lille to St James’ Park in the last decade. Could David be the next?