Eddie Howe considering January move for ex-Bournemouth star - Report

The new year is here, and a new transfer link has emerged as Newcastle United eye January reinforcements.

Injury issues have mounted over the past month, with the left side of our defence looking threadbare as Dan Burn and Sven Botman remain out, alongside the versatile Tino Livramento.

As a result, it's no surprise that Newcastle are on the lookout for defensive cover this month, which brings us to a previous Eddie Howe signing who is thought to be on our radar.

That man is Nathan Ake, as talkSPORT report that Newcastle are one of three Premier League sides considering a January move for the Dutch international.

Chief reporter Alex Crook claims that Newcastle, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace are all keeping tabs on the 31-year-old, with Howe a big admirer of the versatile defender who he brought to the South Coast back in 2017.

It's thought Ake has already turned down an approach from West Ham, as he's reluctant to join a club embroiled in a relegation battle after over 150 appearances for Pep Guardiola's Man City over the past five seasons.

Personally, I'd be surprised if we signed Ake this month. He's a good player with plenty of Premier League and European experience, Howe knows him well and he's able to fill in at left-back and centre-back.

However, it sounds like Ross Wilson is keen to bring in players under the age of 24, meaning a short-term move for Ake may not fit our plan to lower the average age of the squad in 2026.