A major update has emerged on Newcastle United's pursuit of Sassuolo's left-back Rogerio in the January transfer window...

What's the talk?

According to Brazilian outlet TNTSports, the Magpies are on the verge of completing a deal to sign the full-back for a fee in the region of £12.5m (€15m).

The report claims that the transfer is close to being agreed and the player has decided to pursue a switch to St. James' Park over other options in Europe.

Howe will love it

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will surely be in love with this update as it suggests that his fourth signing of the window is set to be completed.

Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood are the only official additions of the window thus far and Bruno Guimaraes is poised to arrive from Lyon as the third, with Rogerio potentially set to come in after his compatriot.

The Magpies are currently 18th in the Premier League table and could be facing relegation down to the Championship unless their results turn around and they are able to string together a run of form.

Bringing in new players to improve the team could increase their chances of being able to do this and that is why Howe will be buzzing to have another potential improvement to his XI.

Rogerio could come in and prove to be an upgrade on Matt Ritchie at left-back. The 24-year-old has 107 Serie A appearances under his belt, which shows that he is an experienced player at the top level despite his age and can handle playing regularly in a big European league.

This season, the Brazilian has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.82, creating 1.2 chances per game from full-back for the Italian outfit and making 1.8 tackles and interceptions.

Ritchie, meanwhile, has averaged an unimpressive score of 6.66 for the Magpies. This shows that he has been consistently letting the side down and has been unable to deliver solid displays for the club, with his rating ranking him 17th in the Newcastle squad.

Therefore, Howe will love the prospect of being able to select Rogerio ahead of him in the Premier League in the weeks and months to come. If he is able to adapt to English football, his statistics suggest that he could be a dependable option for the head coach and provide quality at both ends of the pitch to aid them in their battle against the drop.

AND in other news,  Forget Lascelles: NUFC now eye late bid for £20m "leader", he'd be "integral" for Howe...