Though Newcastle United were as active as they have ever been in the transfer market over the course of the summer, the insatiable nature of the transfer rumour mill keeps churning out rumours and reports.
The Toon Army are joint favourites with Scottish champions Celtic to land Everton midfielder James McCarthy in the January transfer window with the latest Sky Bet odds.
Benitez currently has a wealth of options from which to choose in his midfield, though the Republic of Ireland international would simply be a cut above the rest.
For a team in the second tier, it’s very rare a player of such quality would move there. Still, the fact there is a manager of such magnitude in charge has seen a number of Premier League stars move to Tyneside.
Should the 25-year-old indeed become available, the Magpies simply have to land him ahead of the Hoops.
Here’s why.
