da betobet： Newcastle United know they have a mountainous task in front of them if they wish to defend their Carabao Cup title, but Eddie Howe’s side still fight across multiple fronts.

da bet7： And three successive wins in the Premier League had put a gloss on the Magpies’ form, lifting them from midtable and back into contention for a Champions League finish.

However, this is a thickly-contested battle that is bound to stretch right to the business end of the campaign, and Newcastle’s lack of depth could hinder them.

Tino Livramento’s lengthy injury absence has aggravated a lack of defensive depth, but the Toon are also looking at strengthening their engine room.

Newcastle plan to strengthen their midfield

At the start of January, Howe spoke of how Newcastle were primed for a “season-defining month”. Carabao Cup hopes dangle by a thread, but Newcastle are in good standing in the Premier League, and the right signing to strengthen the squad could sway the odds in the Tynesiders’ favour.

Howe’s comments pertained to results on the pitch, but the same still applies to transfer activity, and adding more quality and control in midfield may be crucial for a team whose performances have been up and down this term.

According to Spanish sources, Newcastle may have found just the man in Palmeiras midfielder Allan, though the 21-year-old has a €100m (equating to £87m) release clause in his contract, and the Brasileiro Serie A side are hesitant to cash in.

Napoli have already seen a bid in the region of £30m rejected, but Aston Villa and the Toon have held talks to ascertain the chances of a winter move.

It’s clear that any deal would require technical director Ross Wilson to break the bank, but this Brazilian prospect would be worth the effort, with a skillset reminiscent of that of Bruno Guimaraes.

How Allan could become Newcastle's new Guimaraes

Allan shares a homeland with Newcastle’s captain, but he could emulate the monstrous midfielder in more than just nationality as a St. James’ Park star.

Like his Newcastle compatriot, Allan is a dynamic player with a wide-ranging skillset. He encompasses many parts of the midfield game, hailed as “exceptionally talented” by journalist and scout Antonio Mango.

He’s young, but Allan has already chalked up 56 senior appearances for his team, scoring four goals and supplying six assists from the centre of the field.

He is a progressive and technically sharp midfielder with a solid defensive game besides. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 4% of Serie A midfielders in 2025 for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive carries, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 15% for tackles won per 90.

Here we see in more detail why Newcastle are keen. Guimaraes, 28, will hopefully stay at the club for several more seasons yet, but a success plan, shrewdly implemented now, could bear eventual dividends for Howe and PIF.

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After all, Guimaraes has been indispensable for Newcastle since joining, very much Howe’s chief lieutenant even before first wearing the armband.

Howe’s Most-used Players at Newcastle

Rank

Player

Apps

1

Bruno Guimaraes

185

2

Fabian Schar

175

3

Dan Burn

171

4

Jacob Murphy

162

5

Joelinton

156

Data via Transfermarkt

In the Premier League this season, the modern club legend has averaged 5.5 duels and won 2.1 tackles per game, as per Sofascore, and he has completed 87% of his passes and created five big chances too.

Such an all-encompassing skillset will not be easy to recapture, but in Allan, Newcastle have earmarked the perfect man for the job, and he must be signed before the likes of Aston Villa can snap him up and strengthen their position near the top of the league ladder.

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