Newcastle United have transformed their fate at St James' Park over the last 12 months, and Eddie Howe will be thrilled with the progress that his squad has made during the campaign so far.

The Magpies are currently third in the Premier League and this week qualified for the Carabao Cup semi-finals with a victory over Leicester City, the first time the Tyneside club has progressed that far in the tournament in 47 years.

The January transfer window presents an opportunity for the club to continue strengthening their squad ahead of the second half of the season, which could put them in an even better position to not only retain their Champions League qualification place inside the top four but also win a major trophy for the first time since 1955.

Indeed, Howe is likely to be very happy with his squad at present due to their rapid success in the Premier League. However, the FA Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday was a clear example of the lack of quality depth that the manager has at his disposal at present, which could be a problem as the season goes on and potential injuries occur.

One player who has recently been linked with a move to Tyneside is Borussia Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko, and the talented £26m-valued youngster could be a major coup in Howe's plans for the future.

In 14 Bundesliga appearances this term, the German goal machine - who was dubbed "incredible" by Owen Hargreaves - has scored six goals, registered three assists and created two big chances, along with averaging 1.9 shots, 1.1 shots on target and 2.2 duels won per game.

Moukoko has already had an impressive output over his career so far whilst rising through the ranks of the Dortmund academy, scoring 153 goals and delivering 35 assists with a goal contribution every 55 minutes, which is an extremely impressive output.

Howe could even land a huge Chris Wood upgrade with the signing of the Germany international this month, as the teenage sensation has massively outperformed the Newcastle striker in many attributes, including goal contributions (9 v 2), shots on target rate (57.7% v 37.5%), shot-creating actions (19 v 5), goal-creating actions (5 v 0) and aerial duel success rate (66.7% v 51.1%).

With that in mind, it would be a no-brainer for Newcastle to snap up Moukoko's services ahead of the second half of the season, as he could be a massive asset to Howe and the rest of the squad if he can continue his hunger for goals with a move to St James' Park.