Newcastle United could look to the January transfer window to strengthen their already impressive squad at St James' Park and now a potential transfer target has been identified.

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According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle United are one of the Premier League clubs interested in securing the services of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher this month, despite his determination to earn a regular spot in his current team.

As per the report, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Southampton and Crystal Palace have registered their interest in the popular player alongside Newcastle during this transfer window, however, it is claimed that Gallagher is committed to Chelsea and gaining consistent game time at Stamford Bridge.

Joelinton clone

Although Gallagher may be reluctant to leave London this month there is no doubt that he could become a valuable asset in Eddie Howe's pursuit of dominance with the Magpies should the club find themselves able to convince the player of a move.

Newcastle are currently third in the Premier League table after a phenomenal run of form that has seen them tally up just one defeat over their first 19 outings and have also progressed to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup with Howe leading his team to the potential of both a trophy and securing Champions League football.

Indeed, the Tyneside team have been consistent and reliable with everyone working together seamlessly to grind out results over the campaign so far, however, by adding new additions this month they could really build a full-proof formidable squad giving Howe more quality in the depth of his team.

As a result, the signing of Gallagher could be a major coup for Newcastle if they can secure his signature this month as the midfielder has proven that he is a prospect with a lot of potential over the last 18 months, especially during his time on loan with Crystal Palace where he played an influential role in the success of the team last season.

Over 34 appearances, the 22-year-old midfielder - hailed an "incredible talent" by Abi Rodwell - scored eight goals, registered three assists and created five big chances in a real breakout campaign.

He also averaged 1.1 key passes, 1.5 shots on goal, two tackles, 1.3 successful dribbles and 5.9 duels won per game, displaying that with consistent game time, Gallagher can be a hugely valuable asset in the centre of the pitch.

Howe could even land a Joelinton clone with the Newcastle fan favourite named as the second most comparable player to Gallagher over the last 12 months, according to FBref.

When comparing the positional peers' output this season so far the pair share similarities in a wide array of areas, with players capable of turning defence into attack with strides from the centre of the pitch.

They are similar in their assists (1 v 1), pass completion rate (79.1% v 80.8%), shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (3.32 v 3.23), dribbles completed (42.1% v 39.3%) and percentage of dribblers tackled (46.7% v 52.9%).

Newcastle are currently without Bruno Guimaraes and Jonjo Shelvey in midfield due to injury issues leaving Howe with limitations on the players he can rely on in the centre of the pitch, so the signing of Gallagher over the coming days and weeks could take some pressure off.

With that being said, if the powerbrokers at St James' Park could convince Gallagher to make a move to the North East this month it would give Howe another talent to deploy in the heart of his on-form team.