There isn’t long to wait now before Newcastle can plunder the transfer market for the first time under their new ownership and new manager.
Though the Magpies hierarchy have money to burn, they don’t have money to waste, and there’s no point throwing money around just because they can.
Eddie Howe has been tasked with taking the club into the upper echelons of the division and the players he buys in January, as well as any he may wish to let go, will author the second half of his and Newcastle’s Premier League season.
One key area that it’s believed Howe has already identified as a weakness is in goal. Clearly, any custodian should be demonstrable and ready to tear into his defence when required.
Unfortunately for Martin Dubravka and the like, they’ve never really had much of a defence in front of them to speak of.
Lazio’s Thomas Strakosha is being targeted according to Mundo Deportivo.
At 26 years of age, he still has the majority of his career ahead of him, but one has to question why Strakosha has been unable dislodge a 39-year-old Pepe Reina during his time at Lazio.
That’s a red flag straight away, however, it appears Howe has seen something in the player that he can work with. If it means regular football too, surely Strakosha will jump at the chance of a new experience.