An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United's pursuit of Norwich midfielder Todd Cantwell this month...

What's the talk?

The Telegraph's Luke Edwards has claimed that the Magpies are setting the wheels in motion over a deal for the England under-21 international.

He tweeted: "#nufc interest in #ncfc Todd Cantwell is firming up apparently. Sources said last night that they had been hoping to keep it under wraps. As expected, second bid made for Sven Botman as per @David_Ornstein but Lille had said he wasn't for sale. Everyone has a price though."

Elation for the Toon Army

Newcastle fans will surely be feeling elated by this news, as Cantwell could be an excellent signing for the club in the short run and the long-term.

In the short-term, he could improve Eddie Howe's attacking options. Although he has not had the best of seasons at Carrow Road, starting just five games, he has previously shown that he can find the net at this level. In the 2019/20 campaign, he scored six goals and provided two assists, both of which came in a 3-1 win over the Magpies as Teemu Pukki scored a hat-trick.

In the Championship last term, he managed six goals and six assists and averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.17. This shows that he does have the quality to perform consistently and deliver goals and assists, but he has perhaps been unable to do that because of Norwich's struggles as a team this season.

Therefore, Cantwell could come in and add goals to Newcastle's side if Howe can instill confidence in him and get him playing at his best. This would be a major boost to the side as Callum Wilson (six) and Allan Saint-Maximin (four) are currently the only Magpies players with more than one league goal to their name after 19 matches in the Premier League.

In the long-term, the Norwich ace could become a valuable asset in terms of his resale value. At the age of 23, he has plenty of time to develop, and Howe could work with him on the training pitch to improve his displays and output in the final third of the pitch. With him also being a homegrown talent, Cantwell could be worth far more than the reported £15m the Magpies would need to pay for him in this transfer window after years of development, and that is why Newcastle fans will surely be elated by this news.

AND in other news, "I'm told": Craig Hope issues key Newcastle transfer claim which will get fans excited