According to reports in the Leicester Mercury, Chelsea have made an enquiry to sign out of favour Leicester City striker Islam Slimani as Antonio Conte's search for a new target man continues.

The Italian boss is keen to bring in a big centre-forward to compete with Alvaro Morata in the second-half of the campaign, and the Algeria international is the latest in a long line of names that have been linked with a move to the Premier League holders before the January transfer window slams shut.

The Leicester Mercury says that it is likely that the 29-year-old, who has scored 26 goals in 55 caps for his country, will move on from the King Power Stadium before next Wednesday having found first-team starts hard to come by under Foxes boss Claude Puel, and ever since his £29m move from Sporting Lisbon in 2016.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United made their first addition of the month when they signed Chelsea winger Kenedy on loan until the end of the season on Tuesday, but manager Rafa Benitez will hope that his business isn't finished there with his team currently just one point above the relegation zone and three points off the bottom.

The Spaniard will be especially keen to boost his goal-shy attack, and bringing Slimani to St James' Park could prove to be a shrewd move.

Here are three reasons Newcastle must hijack Chelsea's bid to sign the striker…

He's a goalscorer

While Slimani has found first-team minutes hard to come by since he joined Leicester in 2016, he has still shown his goalscoring capabilities by scoring 13 goals in 46 appearances in all competitions for the Foxes, including four in three EFL Cup appearances.

While the 29-year-old has 26 in 55 for Algeria, he earned his move to the Premier League with 57 goals in 111 games for Sporting Lisbon, and having scored just 22 goals in 24 top flight matches this season Newcastle are certainly in need of more of a goal threat.

He can play as a lone striker

Newcastle manager Benitez will be looking for a centre-forward that can play up front on his own in his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation before the January transfer window slam shut, and Slimani certainly fits the bill.

The 29-year-old is 6ft 2in tall, decent in the air and can hold the ball up in order to bring his teammates into play – something that the Magpies have failed to do with Joselu and Dwight Gayle up top at times this season.

Point to prove

If Slimani does secure a permanent – or even a loan – move away from Leicester this summer, he will certainly have a big point to prove to the east Midlands outfit.

The 29-year-old will feel that he has never got the consistent run in the team that he perhaps deserved following his club-record move from Sporting Lisbon in 2016, and if he joins another Premier League club like Newcastle he will want to show the Foxes that he can score regularly at this level – which can only be a good thing for the Magpies.

Do you agree, Magpies fans? Let us know below.