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For a club as big as Newcastle United, you have to wonder why they've achieved so little in modern times. They repeatedly splash out millions on superstars that don't deliver, and are left lagging behind other teams in the Premier League, sliding ever closer to the foot of the league with each passing game.
Approximately £31m has been spent on players this season, yet only one has made any discernible difference: Salomon Rondon. The Venezuelan has showcased exactly why it's so vital for teams to ensure that they have a strong strikeforce, as he's made a world of difference to the Magpies' season so far.
And yet Newcastle currently sit 15th in the Premier League, a mere seven points from the bottom, and five from slipping into the relegation zone. On paper, Newcastle have a team worth admiring, as well as a superb manager in Rafa Benitez, but there's something holding them back, and there has been for years.
Could they solve their problems with the players they've been linked with in January? Let's take a look at the five players most closely linked with the Magpies and determine just how probable a transfer might be.
#5 Jetro Willems (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Jetro Willems is a 24-year-old left-back who plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. He has also featured for Holland's national team, having made 22 appearances since his debut in May 2012.
A product of Sparta Rotterdam's youth academy, Willems progressed through their U17 and U19 squads before finally getting a spot in the first team in January 2011. He was soon being monitored by top clubs in the Eredivisie, including PSV Eindhoven, who signed Willems in the summer of that year for around £700k.
It took some time for Willems to fully integrate with the first team, but by the 2014-15 season, the 20-year-old had featured in 30 games, assisting an impressive 13 goals, and scoring two of his own. The following season was slightly less impressive, however, as injury took its toll on his campaign; he only played 15 times, assisting just four this time around.
Willems began to play less and less towards the end of his time with PSV, which prompted a move in the summer of 2017 to Eintracht Frankfurt. He went on to sign a four-year deal with the Bundesliga side.
Rumour probability: 9/10
The Daily Mail report that Rafa Benitez is keen to bolster his defensive options next month, particularly the left-back position, with Holland international Willems his primary target.
If this is true, then there's no doubt that Willems will make the move from the Bundesliga to play for Newcastle in the Premier League. The difference between the two leagues is profound, and any player with ambition would be eager to make the switch.
Of course, there are external factors involved in a move like this, such as Willems' family and whether they'd be willing to up and move from their new home in Germany all the way to England. So ultimately the decision will lie with Willems and his current situation, but as far as his career is concerned, this is a big step up.
#4 Andreas Samaris (Benfica)
Andreas Samaris is a 29-year-old defensive midfielder who plays for Benfica in Liga NOS. He has also featured for Greece's national team, having made 33 appearances since his debut in October 2013.
Samaris hadn't made much of an impact in his career until his time with Olympiacos in the Greek Super League. His performances there earned him a £9m move to Benfica in the summer of 2014, where he remains to this day.
Transfermarkt value Samaris at a mere £4.5m, which is pocket change for a club like Newcastle, so if they're serious about their interest in the Greek midfielder, they should snatch him up as soon as possible. It's believed that Fulham are interested in Samaris, too.
Rumour probability: 9/10
The Mirror have said that Newcastle are ready to go back to hunting Samaris when the transfer window opens. They had targeted him in the summer, but were put off by Benfica's £10m asking price. However, the 29-year-old is due to be out of contract at the end of the season, so Newcastle have great leverage going into negotiations this time around.
#3 Tammy Abraham (Chelsea - On Loan at Aston Villa)
Tammy Abraham is a 21-year-old striker who currently plays for Aston Villa in the EFL Championship, on loan from Chelsea. He has also featured for England's national team, having played twice since his debut in November 2017.
Abraham is a product of Chelsea's youth academy, but he's never been given a proper chance in their first team; instead, he's been shipped out on loan over the past few seasons. Despite making a great impression and seemingly scoring for fun in the Championship, Chelsea's past few managers have overlooked him, which may force him to look for a permanent move elsewhere.
In just 17 appearances for Aston Villa so far this season, Abraham has scored 13 goals. This is a staggering goal-to-game ratio for a player of his age, even if it is in the Championship. He may not be quite good enough to get into the Chelsea squad, but he could certainly make a difference to most Premier League sides.
Rumour probability: 7/10
The Northern Echo (via ChronicleLive) report that Newcastle are prepared to go after Abraham in January after discovering that his contract has a recall clause. This has led to speculation that the Blues may cash in next month, as Abraham is not part of Maurizio Sarri's long-term plans.
There's no doubt that many teams will line up to try and sign the 21-year-old in January, which somewhat decreases the likelihood of Newcastle getting their man. All it would really take is for a team higher up the table to compete for the player and Newcastle could quickly fall out of the loop.
#2 Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea)
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a 22-year-old central midfielder who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League. He has also featured for England's national team, having played 10 times since his debut in November 2017. He was called up to the 2018 World Cup squad in the summer, too.
Loftus-Cheek is a product of Chelsea's youth academy, and after spending a year on loan with Crystal Palace, is now used as a rotation player in the first team. He's made eight appearances in the league so far, scoring three goals.
It's a well-known secret, however, that Loftus-Cheek is unlikely to be part of Maurizio Sarri's future plans, with the Italian probably more eager to sign already-established players to take his place.
With this in mind, a move to a club like Newcastle could be Loftus-Cheek's best bet for his career - it's still Premier League football, after all.
Rumour probability: 6/10
The Mirror have reported that Loftus-Cheek is finding his time at Chelsea "tough" after going from being a Premier League regular with Crystal Palace to the subs bench at Stamford Bridge.
At this stage in his career, it's vital that he plays regularly, as he did with Palace, so he should seek a move away from the Blues in January.
#1 Danny Welbeck (Arsenal)
Danny Welbeck is a 28-year-old striker who plays for Arsenal in the Premier League. He has also featured for England's national team, having made 42 appearances since his debut in March 2011, scoring 16 goals in the process.
Much of Welbeck's career has been tarnished by his proneness to injury. He may be a great player on his day, but the number of games he misses due to injuries makes him a liability. Any team willing to buy Welbeck in January - and there are at least three Premier League sides interested - would be taking a gamble.
Welbeck had a very promising start to his career, graduating from Manchester United's youth academy in 2008. He spent a season on loan with Preston back in 2010, where he impressed, but still wasn't deemed good enough to slot into United's first team. The following season was then spent with Sunderland. Welbeck remained with United until September 2014 when Arsenal bought him for £18m.
His time at Arsenal has been a bit of a mixed bag; as stated above, if he had stayed fit throughout the years, he could've been one of Arsenal's best players. But frequent injuries meant that during the time he would be sidelined, he'd fall down the pecking order, forcing him to work his way back up too often.
Rumour probability: 6/10
TEAMTalk reported back in the summer that Newcastle were heavily linked with Danny Welbeck, and were lining up a loan deal for the 28-year-old. However, his £100,000-a-week wages put off the Magpies at the time, as they were struggling financially. But now that they've re-stabilised, could Newcastle get their man?
Personally, I don't think the Gunners would have much of a problem with letting Welbeck go, as he's a mere back-up option at best for the club right now, and with his constant injury problems, they've had to turn to other players to do that job instead. He rarely gets game time at the club, thanks to the likes of Aubameyang and Lacazette and their superb performances as of late, so a move elsewhere would do him good.
