Report suggests Newcastle United may reignite interest in long-term midfield target amid growing injury concerns
Newcastle United missed Bruno Guimaraes badly on Sunday as they struggled to unlock a stubborn Aston Villa defence, and to make matters worse, Eddie Howe lost Joelinton just after half-time and Sandro Tonali also picked up a knock.
Howe seemed confident that Bruno would be back in the side for PSG on Wednesday night, but early indications suggest Joelinton may be missing for a while.
Tonali's knock didn't look too bad, and his withdrawal felt more precautionary than reactionary, but you never know how these things can progress overnight.
It does feel highly unlikely that Newcastle will dip into the transfer market to address the issue, as Eddie Howe has spoken about not reacting to injuries by throwing money at the situation, but TEAMtalk suggests that the Magpies may have been offered the chance to sign a long-term target this month.
Atalanta's Ederson looks to be on the move, and Newcastle have been made aware
Atalanta's Brazilian midfielder Ederson has been linked with a move to Newcastle for years, but it never materialised. Now it looks as though Atletico Madrid are ready to spend their Conor Gallagher money on the 26-year-old.
While they have stepped up their pursuit, Atalanta have made Manchester United and Newcastle aware that Ederson may be on the move, saying they are just doing their 'due diligence' to ensure clubs with a long-standing interest are aware that a deal is in the offing.
It wouldn't be a knee-jerk signing in that Newcastle have done extensive scouting on Ederson, having chased him for years, but we still don't expect the Magpies to pull the trigger.
Ederson is a prime candidate to replace Joelinton if he is out for an extended period
The only way we see this one moving is if Newcastle had already earmarked Ederson as a potential target in the summer, and the impending move to Atletico means they are forced to act now or miss out entirely.
It's a shame, particularly if Joelinton's groin injury is going to keep him out for an extended period of time. Jacob Ramsey hasn't proven himself to be a worthy successor as yet, and Ederson possesses all the qualities to be a good Joelinton replacement.
Still, the more time passes, the clearer it is that Newcastle will not be spending a penny in January.
