Newcastle United are believed to be keeping tabs on Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, with a new midfield addition seemingly on the agenda ahead of the January transfer window.

What's the word?

According to journalist Craig Hope, the Belgian international is reportedly on the "radar" of Magpies sporting director Dan Ashworth, with the northeast side "looking at" a handful of midfield targets at present.

In the attached piece for the Daily Mail, the report suggests that the 25-year-old has been a long-term target for the St James' Park outfit and 'remains of interest' ahead of the market re-opening next month.

The former Monaco dynamo - who has also been linked with a move to Arsenal of late - is facing an uncertain future at the King Power Stadium, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

Imagine him and Maddison

Ashworth and co appear to have their eyes firmly set on raiding the Foxes in the New Year, with England international, James Maddison having also been heavily linked with a move to Tyneside in recent months.

Bringing the playmaker and Tielemans to the club could well prove to be a masterstroke for Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, with the pair having both been leading figures under Brendan Rodgers in recent years, notably ranking first and second, respectively, among the Leicester squad for their average match ratings this season, as per Sofascore.

In the case of Maddison, the former Norwich City ace has scored seven goals and registered four assists in just 12 Premier League outings so far this season, after previously providing 20 goal contributions in the top flight alone last term.

The creative gem has emerged as something of a talisman for his side of late, with pundit Rio Ferdinand having only recently been full of praise for the 26-year-old's "frightening" record both in terms of goals and assists this season.

The Coventry-born ace has not carried the attacking burden alone for Leicester of late, however, with Tielemans also providing the goods from his deep-lying role after chipping in with five goal involvements across all fronts this term, having registered 12 goals and assists in all competitions last season.

The 25-year-old midfield maestro - who has been dubbed an "incredible talent" by Sky Sports News pundit Michael Dawson (23/10/2021, 12:59) - is simply a player who "catches the eye", according to pundit Noel Whelan, such is his quality in possession.

The £35k-per-week menace has notably created five big chances in the league this season and averages 1.2 key passes per game, while the 5 foot 9 dynamo has also showcased his brilliance defensively after averaging 2.4 tackles per 90.

Such relentless work ethic no doubt allows the aforementioned Maddison to shine in his free role as the link between the midfield and attack, with it set to be a notable coup if Ashworth can seal that double deal in the near future.

The Belgian has only combined with Foxes striker Jamie Vardy for more goal contributions (eight) than with Maddison (seven) during his time at the King Power Stadium, so it's a proven and fruitful partnership that could work wonders under Howe.

As Whelan stated, Newcastle would not "need too much else" if that devastating duo could be signed, with Tielemans, in particular, potentially set to prove a "massive player" for the Magpies.

With Howe's men currently striving for a top-four berth, bringing the two men into the fold would surely only aid in that quest for Champions League qualification.