**Newcastle United have been working behind the scenes to identify potential targets for the January transfer window.**
For the first time since 2022, Newcastle can actually spend in January if they feel the need to, although the club would prefer to do the bulk of their business in the summer trading period.
However, given how the current crop is performing in the league this season, we'd be very shocked if the club keeps its wallet locked away for the entirety of January.
We aren't expecting them to go crazy with a huge influx of new faces, but one or two are likely to arrive in the winter.
Newcastle have been keeping a close eye on Aleksandar Stankovic
---------------------------------------------------------------
One of which could be 20-year-old Club Brugge star Aleksandar Stankovic, according to Italian journalist Matteo Moretto speaking on Fabrizio Romano's YouTube channel.
For those of you who don't speak fluent Italian, Moretto has claimed that Newcastle have sent scouts to Belgium several times to cast an eye over Stankovic, and they like what they see.
Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on the Serbian internationa,l while Inter Milan have a £20 million buy-back clause for this summer, which goes up to £22 million the following year.
Aleksandar Stankovic ticks a lot of boxes for Newcastle
-------------------------------------------------------
The defensive midfielder can also play in the centre of defence, which is the kind of versatility Eddie Howe loves.
Aleksandar is the son of Inter Milan legend Dejan Stankovic, and if you want to cast an eye over him yourself, he could be involved as England take on Serbia tonight in the latest World Cup Qualifier.
This one does feel plausible. Stankovic ticks a lot of boxes for an Eddie Howe signing, and we could certainly do with another defensive option for the midfield. We'll have to see how this one progresses, as we're still very aware that the story originates in Italy.