Newcastle now want France U23 captain currently playing in Bundesliga as backup for Bruno Guimaraes

Eddie Howe said when he first came to Newcastle United that he wants two top players for every position and while Newcastle aren't there yet, this season as shown that two may not be enough.

We'd like to think that this season's injury problems are more like a 100-year storm in that it'll be a long time before we see the likes of it again, but it never hurts to be prepared anyway.

We thought that one position Newcastle had more than adequate cover for was centre midfield, yet here we are, playing someone week-in week-out who has a broken foot while also relying heavily on a 17-year-old for a large chunk of the season.

So it makes sense then, that Eddie Howe is still looking to bring in more midfield reinforcements.

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Kone's injury record this season lines up nicely with Newcastle's

A report from Tutto Juve has now claimed that the Magpies are keen on Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone and will look to bring the midfielder to Tyneside this summer.

The 22-year-old has played 18 times in the Bundesliga this season, missing two games through suspension and seven through injury. He's currently out with a torn muscle fibre.

Shouldn't we be avoiding players seemingly made out of fluff and cellotape?

Kone could be used as a number six

Kone was touted as a possible replacement if contract talks with Joelinton didn't go well, but thankfully that's not something we need to worry about now.

Now we just need to question whether Kone's potential outweighs his clear injury issues.

Juventus and Liverpool are keen on the France u23 captain and he is valued at around £35million according to Newcastle World so he could be worth a punt. His injury issues weren't so prevalent last season, so we could chalk this one down to bad luck.

However, when everyone is fully fit and not suspended, where would he actually fit in? He has played that number six role, so perhaps that's what he's being eyed for.