Newcastle United have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the market and could now be set to strike for an England international come January.
Newcastle United prepare to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers
After a chaotic end to the transfer window, Eddie Howe will have welcomed the calm of an international break and a chance to fine-tune his tactical ideas before Wolverhampton Wanderers travel to the North East this weekend.
Without putting too fine a point on it, controversy surrounding Alexander Isak's move to Liverpool has been widespread over the past few months, though Dan Burn has claimed that it will all be left in the past now that he is no longer on the books at Newcastle.
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He told BBC Sport: "We are very protective of our club and city, and we want players to be there who want to play for Newcastle. You don't want them to naively think that there is anyone else to go to apart from Newcastle. I understand why our fans are frustrated.
"I'm glad it is done. We wanted the window closed to have a bit of clarity on it. Alex is a mate, and I have nothing but good wishes. No animosity. I wish Alex all the best, apart from when we play Liverpool, obviously."
Looking ahead to the January window, Newcastle want to trigger Athletic Club defender Dani Vivian's release clause of £34.6 million, while anticipation is growing over whether Yoane Wissa or Nick Woltemade will be able to make their debuts this weekend.
PIF won't be deterred in their mission to complete big-money deals despite competition from their Premier League rivals, and they may be about to live up to that mantra amid recent developments.
Newcastle United enter race for Adam Wharton January deal
According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle have entered the race to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton as the England international continues to impress with his performances at Selhurst Park.
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Manchester United and Liverpool are also keen on the former Blackburn Rovers star, who is said to be valued at around £60 million by Oliver Glasner after the Eagles rejected advances from the Red Devils to try and land their prize asset during the summer window.
It is stated that Howe personally sees Wharton as 'an ideal fit to complement the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, offering both defensive solidity and creative spark'.
Labelled "outstanding" by Alan Shearer, Wharton has starred in a deep-lying midfield role for Crystal Palace, registering six assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.
Setting the tempo in a 2024/25 campaign where his side claimed the FA Cup, the 21-year-old has continued his excellent showings this term, racking up 79 successful passes in the Premier League, per Fotmob.
While the Eagles are unlikely to let Wharton leave in January, a summer sale in 2026 could be on the cards and Newcastle will hope to be at the front of the queue to avoid missing out on a premium homegrown talent.