Report: Newcastle to make a move for Rennes midfielder Desire Doue this month

Despite the recent cries of poverty from Newcastle United the club are still being linked to moves for players in this window.

With Joelinton likely out for the season it would make sense that Newcastle would have to climb down from their hardball stance in their fight against the unfairness of FFP and actually dip into their pocket this month to bring in another midfielder.

Having now lost Joelinton we have three fit central midfielders, one is just 17 years old, one is in shockingly poor form and the third is Bruno Guimaraes. Now with all of our injuries and the suspension of Sandro Tonali, if we lose any one of those three we're looking at playing ageing players out of position to fill the gaps or putting another youth in the firing line.

Newcastle and Dortmund are set to battle it out for Desire Doue

Thankfully, Joe Willock is getting ever closer to a return and should he stay fit for the rest of the season that will ease the burden, but we'll still be short of numbers.

Indeed, if you add the fact that Joelinton may be sold in the summer, the need to bring someone in ASAP is very pressing and that's why the report from L'Equipe suggests that Newcastle will make a move for Desire Doue from Rennes before January is out does make sense.

Newcastle and Dortmund are the clubs who L'Equipe claim will be set to duke it out over the 18-year-old attacking midfielder with bids expected to be imminent.

Doue potentially has the wrong attitude

The promising midfielder has made 16 appearances in Ligue 1 this season and found himself on the scoresheet twice. Although of those 16 appearances, only one was a full 90 minutes.

Doue definitely looks like another one for the future, but given our situation, he could find himself having to adapt to life in the Premier League extremely quickly should he end up on Tyneside.

The one big question mark over this one is that Doue only just returned to the Rennes first team in December after being sent to train with the reserves which does call into question his attitude, and we know how much Eddie Howe values players with the right temperament. Although, we did sign Anthony Gordon soooo..... Plus, Doue is only 18 and still has a lot to learn and a lot of growing up to do so it's not that big of an issue.