Newcastle invited to bid for £33m playmaker wanted by Leeds and Liverpool

Newcastle have been invited to bid for a £33 million playmaker wanted by Leeds and Liverpool, as the Magpies are presented with a January opportunity.

Newcastle weigh up January moves after another frustrating weekend

REUTERS/Jon Super

Jacob Murphy’s strike at Fulham looked like the goal that would put a miserable week behind Newcastle.

Three minutes later, Rodrigo Muniz had levelled, leaving Matthias Jaissle’s side with a point at Craven Cottage and three wins from 10 league games.

They’re 12th at the international break, four points off fifth, and there’s plenty of room to climb if they can get January right.

Tuttosport says Newcastle have made an initial enquiry about Bologna left back Juan Miranda, whose talks over a new contract have yet to produce an agreement. Juventus are also keen, and it’s easy to see why a defender who regularly sets up goals from the left is drawing interest beyond Italy.

Closer to home, TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey says Newcastle and Sunderland have both been watching Sheffield United midfielder Sydie Peck.

The Blades may be willing to sell in January, which could leave the two North East rivals chasing the same player as soon as the window opens.

Then there’s Gabriel Sara, the former Norwich City midfielder now at Galatasaray, with Turkish Football saying Newcastle and Aston Villa are both tracking the Brazilian, with the Turkish champions potentially willing to take around £25m if the offer is structured to their liking.

Newcastle invited to bid for Bilal El Khannouss

Newcastle have been given the chance to bid for Bilal El Khannouss in January and invited to bid for his services, according to Chronicle Live’s Lee Ryder.

Stuttgart are willing to let the Morocco international leave if he wants the move and an offer meets their demands. Newcastle looked at him in the summer without making a move, and Ryder says they’ve now been quoted around £33m plus bonuses.

That gives Newcastle a reason to look again, with Sky Germany reporting in August that Stuttgart wanted between £42m and £50m and that Newcastle were already in touch with the player’s camp.

Stuttgart had announced his permanent switch from Leicester City in May after a season on loan that brought nine goals and seven assists in 41 games.

Ryder also names Liverpool and Leeds as interested clubs, while Galatasaray have kept tabs on him. The Turkish side got a look at him up close earlier this month, when he played the full 90 in Istanbul as Stuttgart lost 2-0 in the Champions League.

Is El Khannouss good enough for Newcastle?

El Khannouss is a 7/10 player right now, and he’s good enough to compete for a starting spot at Newcastle.

In Stuttgart’s win at Bayer Leverkusen, his quick exchange with Deniz Undav opened up the shot that led to the first goal, and he later picked out the far corner from distance to put them 3-1 up.

That’s the sort of player who can give a tight game a jolt.

Jaissle used Yoane Wissa behind Will Osula at Fulham, but putting a natural No. 10 in that spot would give Newcastle someone who can take a pass with a defender on his back and turn before the space closes.

That’s when the runs Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga make inside the full back can do real damage.

El Khannouss knows the Premier League from his 32 games at Leicester, where he scored twice and set up three. He’s still finding the consistency you’d want from a player at this price, and two goals in 15 club games this season make it a sizeable bet on potential.

That said, Sebastian Hoeness is on record calling him a player of ‘incredible quality‘, and he’s worth a bid if Jaissle sees him playing regularly through the middle, where he can get on the ball and make those runs count.