In the upcoming January transfer window, Eddie Howe, Ross Wilson and the recruitment team will have a big task ahead of them to bolster a squad looking in desperate need of a mid-season boost.
Squad depth is proving to be a real concern at the moment, particularly after this mini injury crisis we find ourselves in with the likes of Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman all out injured.
Even in the areas of the pitch where we have a healthy amount of depth, like in midfield, we’re still crying out for player profiles we simply don’t have: in particular, a tricky attacking midfielder who can provide something that the likes of Joelinton and Sandro Tonali simply can’t.
Over the summer, Newcastle paid £42m for Jacob Ramsey, who has barely featured of late, and a potential alternative to the former Aston Villa man has now spoken out on our interest after being denied a move to the Premier League.
Bilal El-Khannouss has revealed that Newcastle United missed an opportunity to sign him over the summer before Stuttgart struck a loan deal with Leicester City.
Following the Foxes relegation, staying in England was a “priority” for the Moroccan as ourselves and Crystal Palace both lined up a cut-price deal for the playmaker, who had a release clause in his contract worth a reported £30m.
However, the 21-year-old claims that neither club wanted to activate that clause in a move both may be living to regret after six goals and four assists in Germany so far this season:
“Of course, the Premier League was my priority in the last transfer window.
“I was in contact with several clubs, and with some I was even in advanced negotiations. But it didn’t work out. As far as concrete offers were concerned, it was mainly Crystal Palace and Newcastle, to a lesser extent.”
“What I didn’t understand, above all, is that it didn’t work out knowing that I had a release clause. No club wanted to pay [it].
“We managed to find a deal with Stuttgart. And I’m happy even if things haven’t been easy this summer to be honest. It was difficult to find a way out with Leicester that didn’t make it easy.”
Easy to say in hindsight, but when Newcastle lacked that technical No 10 able to play between the lines and offer something different to our midfield runners, it feels like a mistake to have paid £12m more to sign Ramsey instead.
Questions continue to be asked over just why we signed Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey, especially for considerably more than the deal on offer for El-Khannouss.
Ramsey is arguably the sixth choice midfielder at the club right now, making him the latest summer signing to endure a slow start to life on Tyneside.
Having failed to make a big impression in the 450+ minutes he’s played so far, Joe Willock appears to have gone above Ramsey in the pecking order despite suggestions he could depart in January.
You could speculate that El-Khannous wouldn’t have stood much better chance of starting in the midfield trio, but at least his attacking profile and ability to offer something different would’ve added to a squad desperately lacking spark and the potential to break down low blocks.
