Newcastle United host Chelsea at St. James' Park in their final Premier League match on Saturday before the break for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

The Magpies will not be in action again until the 19th of December and will only have two more league games before the January transfer window opens up after their clash with the Blues this weekend.

Having a World Cup in the winter could make for an interesting January window as clubs may watch the tournament to see who catches the eye and could improve their team heading into the second half of the campaign.

One player who could be a surprise package in Qatar is Newcastle transfer target James Maddison after it was confirmed that he will be in the England squad this month.

Gareth Southgate revealed that the gem will be on the plane and hailed the maestro's current form, saying: “He's always been up against some really good players in that area of the pitch.

“But, like I said, he's playing exceptionally well. He was delighted [when we spoke on the phone]. I had some very different calls that were, emotionally, at the other end of the spectrum. So it was nice to give myself an enjoyable end to that."

The Three Lions boss, via John Cross, also claimed that the midfielder's performances for Leicester this season made him an "irresistible" pick.

Maddison, who has been valued at a whopping £60m by the Foxes, has averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.56 in the Premier League in 2022/23 and Kieran Trippier (7.74) is the only Newcastle player who can boast a better rating than him.

He has racked up six goals and four assists in 12 appearances, whilst creating 2.6 chances per game, after producing 12 goals and eight assists in 28 top-flight starts for Leicester last term.

The former Norwich midfielder has only been capped once by England at international level and does not head into the tournament as one of the stars of Southgate's team but his performances over the last 18 months suggest that he can be a surprise package for his country.

Since the start of last season, Harry Kane (38) is the only English player who has been involved in more Premier League goals than Maddison (30) and this suggests that the 25-year-old has the quality to be a standout player for England if he can translate his form to the international stage.

The wizard has proven that he can score and assist goals on a regular basis, with his statistics dwarfing Phil Foden, Mason Mount, and Raheem Sterling's contributions for their respective clubs in the top-flight, and could thrive in Qatar if Southgate gives him an opportunity to play.

Therefore, Newcastle must swoop to sign Maddison as quickly as possible as they could bring in a World Cup star, raising their profile as a club in the process, if he goes to the tournament and plays to the level he has been showing in the Premier League.