Three central defenders linked with Newcastle United

Kolkata, November 30: Eddie Howe has a monumental task in his hands having joined Newcastle United a few weeks ago following the sacking of Steve Bruce.

The Magpies currently find themselves at the rock bottom of the Premier League table with just six points in 13 games and are yet to win their first game of the campaign.

The Tyneside club have a big challenge ahead of themselves in order to stave off relegation and their chances of doing that could get a boost in the winter transfer window with the club's new Saudi Arabia based mega-owners set to back Howe in the transfer market.

The Magpies desperately need reinforcements in their back-line having already allowed 29 goals in 13 games, the most by any Premier League side so far this campaign.

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A new central defender is likely to be the top priority of Howe in January and here we look at three star names linked with a move to St James' Park.

James Tarkowski - Burnley

Burnley defender Tarkowski has been one of the best in his position outside the top six clubs over the past few years and has consistently attracted interest from clubs like Leicester City, West Ham United, Everton among others. Burnley have rejected every offer for their star defender over the last few transfer windows but might have no option but to allow him to leave on a bargain in January. His current deal at Turf Moor expires in the summer of 2022 and Newcastle United could use that opportunity to sign the 29-year-old at a cut-price fee.

Niklas Sule - Bayern Munich

Niklas Sule's contract situation at Bayern is quite similar to that of Tarkowski at Burnley and the German international could well be on the move in January if Bayern fails to tie him down with a new deal. It is unclear why Sule is not ready to commit his future to one of the biggest clubs in Europe despite playing on a weekly basis. He is believed to be keen on a move to the Premier League with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United among his admirers. Newcastle are reportedly looking to join the race and it would be quite a statement if they can get this deal over the line.

Joe Gomez - Liverpool



Joe Gomez, when available for selection, was pretty much regular in the starting XI of Liverpool at the heart of the defence alongside Virgil van Dijk until this summer. However, the 24-year-old has seen his gametime drastically reduced this season following the improve in fitness levels of Joel Matip and the arrival of Ibrahima Konate. The England international has only played 311 minutes of football across all competitions this season and quite naturally has been linked with an exit from Anfield. Newcastle United have been mentioned as one of his many suitors.