Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a triple raid on Manchester United for the signings of Jesse Lingard, Eric Bailly and Donny van de Beek in January.
According to a report from the Mirror, Newcastle United’s new cash influx following their takeover by the Saudi Arabian-backed consortium will see them launch a January raid on Manchester United as they look to sign Jesse Lingard, Eric Bailly and Donny van de Beek.
Newcastle have the richest owners in football following the massive takeover. Having been largely dormant in the market during the summer, the Magpies will certainly go all-out in the January window as they look to pull away from the relegation zone and make a push for the top-half of the table.
And, it seems like a number of players from teams at the top-end of the table are being targeted by the Tynesiders. Three of them could come from current manager Steve Bruce’s former club Manchester United. Indeed, heading into the winter transfer window, Newcastle are eyeing moves for Lingard, Bailly and van de Beek.
Lingard, a product of the Manchester United academy, has not been entirely favoured by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Having been phased out of the first-team over the past year, the 28-year-old was loaned out to West Ham United in January and he made a huge impression to force his way back into the team at Old Trafford.
That, however, has not meant that he has become a regular starter for the Red Devils. Lingard’s contract with Manchester United runs out at the end of the season and he is already said to have turned down an offer. So, he could be available on the cheap in January, with Newcastle keen on exploiting the situation.
Considering how overreliant the Magpies are on Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron to provide the creative essence going forward, someone like Lingard could ease the pressure and chip in with goals as well. Apart from him, the Tyneside outfit also has eyes on Donny van de Beek, another player who has not found favour under Solskjaer and has been urged to leave the club to resurrect his career.
From being a top player for Ajax, the 24-year-old has become a benchwarmer at Old Trafford since arriving last year. Given that things are unlikely to change for him anytime soon, an exit could be on the cards. And Newcastle could certainly use someone of his quality in the ranks as he would add goals and chance-creation from midfield, making them more potent going forward.
Finally, Eric Bailly is also said to be on the radars of the Toons. The Ivory Coast international had been third-choice at Manchester United behind Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof and has slipped further down the pecking order after Raphael Varane’s signing in the summer. The ex-Villarreal ace has previously spoken about being open to leave in search of playing time and Newcastle can offer him just that.
While the Magpies have no shortage of centre-back options, they lack someone like Bailly who is good on the ball, physically imposing and boasting of a good recovery pace. He also has years of Premier League experience under his belt and can be a better option than their other target Kalidou Koulibaly, who is getting old and injury-prone.
