Newcastle targets

A deal is said to be close for Remy Cabella but who else might Newcastle try to sign this month?

REMY CABELLA

Age: 23
Nationality: France
Club: Montpellier
Position: Attacking Midfield
Estimated Value: £15m
Alternative Target: Aaron Hunt (Werder Bremen) Since his arrival in 2011, it has been seemingly impossible for Newcastle to go through a transfer window without the mention of selling their influential playmaker, Yohan Cabaye. His importance to Alan Pardew's team is hard to argue against, with the Magpies win rate dropping by a considerable 25.1 per cent when they play without the Frenchman. With PSG and Arsenal among a variety of potential suitors, it seems the Newcastle hierarchy are already planning for life without the former Lille star.

With Cabaye	Newcastle in PL 13/14	Without Cabaye		With Cabaye	Newcastle in PL since August 2011	Without Cabaye
18	Games	3		78	Games	19
10	Wins	0		36	Wins	4
1	Draws	2		16	Draws	3
7	Losses	1		26	Losses	12
55.6%	Win Percent	0.0%		46.2%	Win Percent	21.1%
1.7	Points/Game	0.7		1.6	Points/Game	0.8

Montpellier's Remy Cabella has been strongly linked with the Magpies since the opening day of the January transfer window and it emerged on Monday night a deal had been agreed but the move might not happen this winter. Cabella can play on the wing or through the middle and is capable of a defence-splitting pass. His blistering pace and impressive dribbling skills are undeniably his greatest feature, attracting the interest of Manchester United. Agile, fast and versatile, the acquisition of Cabella could significantly help Newcastle's hopes of European football, even more so if they can resist any offers for Cabaye. LUUK DE JONG Age: 23
Nationality: Netherlands
Club: Borussia Monchengladbach
Position: Striker
Estimated Value: £12m
Alternative Targets: Cedric Bakambu (Sochaux) & Demba Ba (Chelsea) Newcastle attempted to lure Luuk De Jong to Tyneside in 2012 but failed to match Monchengladbach's offer of around £12million and opted to continue with strikers Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse instead. With Ba leaving for Chelsea in January 2013 and Cisse failing to replicate his form shown in the 2011/12 season, Newcastle have turned back to De Jong in a quest to bolster their forward line. Standing tall at 6 foot 2 inches, De Jong provides an aerial threat that is really only provided in the Newcastle team by Shola Ameobi. However, the Dutchman has supreme finishing abilities and bears similar attributes with fellow Dutch compatriot, Klaas Jan Huntelaar. Much like Loic Remy, going back to a former target could prove to be an inspired move. SIEM DE JONG Age: 24
Nationality: Netherlands
Club: Ajax
Position: Attacking Midfield
Estimated value: £9m
Alternative targets: Tom Ince (Blackpool) & Anthony Knockaert (Leicester) Luuk de Jong's older brother, Siem, is another long-term target of Newcastle, who were keen to take him last year. However, a potential move was hampered by the news the elder De Jong was admitted to hospital with a collapsed lung in August. On the mend and on Newcastle's radar, the Ajax captain has recently admitted his interest in a move away from Amsterdam, saying: "I plan to leave Ajax. That is my intention. I am ready for a new challenge." A new challenge that could await the Dutch international is the possibility of firing Newcastle back into Europe. An influential captain and a vastly creative playmaker, the De Jongs should fit into Newcastle's newly-adopted passing style of play with relative ease. BAFETIMBI GOMIS Age: 28
Nationality: France
Club: Lyon
Position: Striker
Estimated value: £4m
Alternative targets: Alfred Finnbogason (Heerenveen) & Jelle Vossen (Genk) Gomis has been linked with Newcastle since his days as a Saint-Etienne player, when Kevin Keegan was in charge of the Magpies. With Newcastle's strict transfer policy of buying youngsters who have the potential to command a large fee in a few years, it seems like this transfer window will be Gomis' last opportunity to join Alan Pardew's side, with the Frenchman approaching his 29th birthday in August. After being strongly linked with the Toon in the summer, whilst sending tweets to Magpies players Moussa Sissoko and Yoan Gouffran, their interest is beginning to waiver in the Lyon forward but there is still an interest regardless. Nicknamed "Baby Drogba", Gomis possesses upper body strength and a commanding aerial presence, whilst somewhat lacking the finishing capabilities of their No.1 target, Luuk De Jong. If Pardew and director of football Joe Kinnear fail to strike a deal for the Monchengladbach forward, expect a late bid for Gomis, whose contract is up at the end of the season. KURT ZOUMA Age: 19
Nationality: France
Club: Saint-Etienne
Position: Centre-Back
Estimated value: £13m
Alternative targets: James Tomkins (West Ham) & Bakary Kone (Lyon) Zouma was linked with a move to Tyneside last summer but a deal this winter is looking unlikely after the Frenchman revealed he has been in contact with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. However, it is hard to rule out any French player moving to the North East and Zouma certainly fits their policy. A young, combative defender who has been compared to legendary French defender Lilian Thuram, Zouma has two games remaining of a 10 match ban after a leg-breaking challenge on Sochaux's Thomas Guerbert. Despite an over-eagerness in the challenge, the youngster is commanding in the air and technically sound on the ground. If Newcastle do want to snap up Zouma, they will have to contend with the Chelsea's financial muscle.