Report: Record-breaking striker wanted by NUFC may stay put in January despite release clause

Newcastle United may have to wait if they want to land reported target Serhou Guirassy from VfB Stuttgart.

After a blinding start to the season which saw Serhou Guirassy beat Robert Lewandowski's record for the most goals at the start of a season, the Guinea striker has captured the attention of many big clubs around Europe.

Newcastle have been repeatedly linked to the 27-year-old in recent weeks, but now a report from Germany has suggested that the Magpies may be made to wait.

Newcastle's lack of depth up front has been exposed already this season

After losing Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson to injury at the same time, Newcastle's lack of depth when it comes to strikers was exposed this season and that's something that Eddie Howe is likely keen to address sooner rather than later.

It was therefore expected that if Newcastle truly are interested in Guirassy then they'd make their move next month when the transfer window opens.

There's a £15m release clause in play which would make the move easier for the Magpies, but if the player wants to remain at Stuttgart and see out the season, which may now be the case, they may have to wait until the summer, by which time Newcastle may well have moved on to other, younger options.

If Guirassy doesn't come to Newcastle in January he probably won't at all

German site Fussball Transfers has suggested that Guirassy favours a move to the Premier League with Manchester United and West Ham also keen, but then they state that staying put is also a very real option.

As we say, this could feel like now or never for Newcastle and Guirassy as he's right at the top end of age range we'd normally recruit, and with the Adidas deal and several other commercial partnerships all coming into effect, as long as Newcastle can retain their place in Europe, the transfer budget should be quite a healthy one in the summer.

Obviously, that doesn't mean that the club will abandon their measured approach to transfers, but the idea that the PIF will at some point want to make a statement signing that shocks the world of football isn't going away, and they're likely going to want to do that ASAP.