Newcastle United 'race' Arsenal to turn Borussia Dortmund foe into friend with transfer deal

A bitter defeat at Bournemouth quite literally added insult to injury for Newcastle United as Eddie Howe's side deal with a treatment room full of first team players.

A jam-packed fixture schedule with European and Premier League commitments appears to have taken its toll on the Newcastle United team with 12 first team stars struggling for fitness.

With the injury crisis, recruitment in the January window for the side seems vital to stay competitive at the top of the Premier League table.

Newcastle United target Champions League opponent

Newcastle United could look to turn a foe into a friend with a deal for Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Julian Brandt.

The 27-year-old didn't feature against the Magpies at St James' Park last month but played the full 90 minutes last week and bagged his side's second goal. The Mirror now reports that the player has made himself a transfer target for the Magpies come January.

Eddie Howe's side would have to see off competition from Arsenal for the Dortmund star, who has been with the German giants since 2019 and is contracted until 2026. Jurgen Klopp has also courted the player when at former club Bayer Leverkusen, with Brandt sharing regret for not seizing the opportunity to join the Reds' project at the time.

Eddie Howe could turn to Portuguese free agent

Newcastle United may be needing reinforcements amid an injury crisis but the club will be aware of having splashed out over £100 million on new stars last summer.

Eddie Howe may therefore look for some free deals to add numbers to his Magpies team with TEAMtalk reporting that midfielder Xeka could be an 'immediate fix' without any expense.

The 28-year-old is without a club having had a two-year deal with Rennes ended this summer following an injury struggle but appears to be fit again, having been linked with a deal at Celta Vigo.

Xeka has previously been a target for Crystal Palace, West Ham and Aston Villa and could be a functional, if potentially no-frills, solution for the Magpies, who could look at an initial trial for the player before offering a full contract.