Newcastle United are eyeing a move for Marseille midfielder Gerson as Eddie Howe seeks to bring effective signings in the January window.
According to Sky Sports, Marseille star Gerson features among those shortlisted by Newcastle United for a January transfer as Eddie Howe scours the market for a reliable player in midfield.
Newcastle United have a tough task at hand to bring in quality players in January to strengthen their side ahead of the second half of the Premier League season. After an exciting time for fans off the field following the club’s high profile take over by the Saudi-backed consortium, the Magpies have utterly disappointed on the football pitch.
They currently languish in 19th place, level on points with bottom-placed Norwich City and ahead only on goal difference. After 18 rounds of matches, Newcastle have managed just a solitary win, which came against fellow relegation strugglers Burnley, and they have a mountain to climb to retain their status in the top division.
While they may have all the money in the world entering the January window, the Magpies have a huge task convincing players about their project. There are no guarantees whether bringing in fresh signings will keep them afloat in the Premier League next season, as stats suggest no team has managed to secure safety from the position the Magpies find themselves in.
Eddie Howe is keen on strengthening the defence and midfield departments in the next window, with the manager fairly satisfied with his attacking options. In terms of midfielders, they have a few names on their list of potential targets, but some of them are fairly ambitious and could be difficult to sign.
They are now also being linked with Marseille’s Gerson as a potential incoming in January. The Brazilian only signed from Flamengo in the summer and has played a key role for the French club in his debut season. It is highly unlikely the Ligue 1 side will sanction a move so quickly, especially after spending just under £23 million to sign him in July.
It could take a monumental offer from Newcastle to convince Marseille into a sale. While the Magpies have deep resources to fulfil the fee demands, it will take a huge effort to convince the player to fight a relegation battle in the Premier League. There are other options, such as Bournemouth’s Philip Billing, who has played under Howe before, that the Tynesiders are looking at.
