The January transfer window is in full swing and Newcastle have been busy as they get to work on improving Eddie Howe's squad.

Kieran Trippier has already been brought in from Atletico Madrid and Burnley forward Chris Wood is also reportedly on the verge of arriving at St. James' Park.

However, there could be more incomings at Tyneside before the end of the month as there are still positions in the team where signings could be mae.

Save the season

One player Howe could sign to potentially save the club's season is central defender Sven Botman, as he would arrive in an area where the side needs strengthening the most.

The Athletic recently reported that the Ligue 1 side are desperate to keep him until the end of the season, stating that Newcastle's chances of signing him are 'all but over'. Whilst it is hardly promising for the Magpies, it also does not 100% rule out a move in the current window.

This leaves the club with a bit of wriggle room to work in and they could piece together an attractive enough offer to change Lille's mind. It was previously reported that they would not sell Botman under any conditions unless they received £45m or more for his services and this could be the magic number for Nick Hammond to hit.

£45m would be a club-record transfer for the club and it could be worth it as the Dutchman could solve a major issue for the Magpies.

Howe's side holds the second-worst defensive record in the Premier League, with 20th-placed Norwich the only team worse off than them. They have conceded a whopping 42 goals in 19 matches, letting in 2.2 goals per game and keeping just one clean sheet all season.

AC Milan and Italy legend Paolo Maldini once dubbed Botman a "great player" and his statistics for Lille in Ligue 1 back that comment up. Last season, he averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.08 as he helped them win the league title whilst keeping an incredible 20 clean sheets.

This shows that he can perform consistently to a high level whilst functioning as part of a solid defence, which is exactly what Newcastle have been missing so far this season.

Therefore, he could come in and provide a major upgrade to the backline and possibly save the club's campaign by adding a defensive toughness that was absent before, helping them to keep more clean sheets and win more points.

Howe must now ensure that he can get a record-breaking deal over the line for him before the window slams shut.

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