Newcastle United will be hoping for a smoother January transfer window than the one they experienced in the summer. Eddie Howe’s side were embroiled in several sagas, including Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool, which was the talk of the entire transfer window.

They did make some pretty big signings, too. Malick Thiaw joined the club from AC Milan and has gone on to become a key player for Howe’s side.

They also managed to replace Isak with Nick Woltemade, who has impressed in the four months he has been at St. James’ Park, following his club-record £69m switch.

It seems as though the Magpies are lining up some more moves with the next window around the corner.

Newcastle’s latest transfer target

The Magpies are already linked with a couple of midfield targets. Former academy star Elliot Anderson is one man on their shopping list, as is ex-Manchester United and Napoli man Scott McTominay.

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However, according to a recent report from The Athletic, there is another midfielder on their list of targets.

That man is Stuttgart star Bilal El Khannouss, and the report explains he is a player whom the higher-ups at St. James’ Park have already held ‘internal conversations’ about in recent weeks.

This would not necessarily be an easy deal for the North Eastern giants to complete.

The Moroccan star only joined the Bundesliga side on loan this summer from Leicester City. However, he has a buy option in the deal, which may add complications.

As for a price, El Khannouss’ buy clause is worth £21m, so the Magpies may well have to pay a similar fee.

Why El Khannouss would be a good signing

Adding a player with the attacking quality of El Khannouss to their squad would certainly enhance the final third quality that Howe has at his disposal.

As football scout Antonio Mango said, the 21-year-old is a “magician” on the ball.

Indeed, he has shone for German outfit Stuttgart this season. In just 16 appearances across all competitions for the club, he’s managed to score five times and assist four, operating as a number ten.

In the top flight of Germany, the attacker has five goals and assists in ten games.

Let’s not forget that the former Leicester star shone for the Foxes in the Premier League last season. In a tough campaign for the club in which they got relegated, he grabbed five top-flight goal involvements, including this sublime strike against Tottenham Hotspur.

The attacking midfielder’s stats from the Bundesliga season so far show the sort of quality he can add to Newcastle’s attack.

For example, he’s averaging 6.52 progressive passes and 2.81 key passes per 90 minutes, which both rank him in the top 5% of attackers.

This signing certainly has shades of the addition of Woltemade this summer.

As El Khannouss is doing now, the German striker shone in what proved to be his solitary season at Stuttgart and impressed with 18 goals and three assists in just 36 appearances for the Bundesliga side.

Since moving to the North East of England, Woltemade has continued that good form.

He already has seven goals to his name in that famous Black and White shirt, with his most recent effort being this exquisite chip against Everton last weekend.

It is easy to see how the potential move for El Khannouss has shades of the Woltemade deal. It seems like the Moroccan star will also spend just one season at the club, and Newcastle could well be his destination.

That is certainly one parallel, but the form which both players have, or did, showcase in the Bundesliga is another interesting dynamic.

Newcastle bought Woltemade based on his sensational 2024/25 campaign, and it feels as though that was some of the logic behind signing the Morocco international too.

If they do only have to pay £21m, that is an extraordinarily cheap fee for a player who could instantly improve their attacking quality.

Outscoring Woltemade: Newcastle preparing move for one of the PL's best strikers

He’s been in excellent form.

By
Tom Cunningham

Dec 3, 2025