Newcastle January Transfer Window 2022: Player signings, loans & sales

Newcastle United will definitely be a club to follow this January transfer window, with plenty of movement expected. The inundation of rumors stem from two main factors.

First, Newcastle is battling relegation, sitting 19th in the Premier League table with just one win and 11 total points. The Magpies have one of the league’s worst defenses, with 42 goals conceded in 19 matches at the turn of the calendar year. In turn, they’ve scored just 19 goals themselves, which is worse than all but the other two teams in the relegation zone at the start of 2022.

Second, the Magpies are under new ownership, recently acquired by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, chaired by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohamed bin Salman. While there was backlash amid the takeover by what amounts essentially to a foreign government, the takeover went through and there are expected to be significant available funds for reinforcements this winter.

MORE: Man United winter transfer rumors & deals 

Below is the updated list of Newcastle player transactions during the January 2022 transfer window and the updated squad list. It will be fascinating to see how much they do spend given the real threat of relegation and which players want to join actually the fight to avoid the drop.

Newcastle Transfers: January 2022 winter window

Players In:

Players Out:

Newcastle United squad 2021-22

Below is the updated Newcastle United first-team roster. New additions during the January 2022 window will be noted in bold:

Goalkeepers (4): Karl Darlow, Martin Dubravka, Mark Gillespie, Freddie Woodman.

Defenders (9): Ciaran Clark, Paul Dummett, Federico Fernandez, Emil Krafth, Jamaal Lascelles, Jamal Lewis, Javier Manquillo, Matt Ritchie, Fabian Schar.

Midfielders (8): Miguel Almiron, Elliot Anderson, Isaac Hayden, Jeff Hendrick, Sean Longstaff, Matty Longstaff, Jonjo Shelvey, Joe Willock.

Forwards (6): Ryan Fraser, Dwight Gayle, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, Allan Saint-Maximin, Callum Wilson.

The current Newcastle projected first-choice starting lineup, when completely healthy, currently looks like:

Newcastle projected starting XI (4-5-1): Dubravka (GK) — Lewis, Lascelles, Schar, Krafth — Saint-Maximin, Shelvey, Joelinton, S. Longstaff, Fraser — Wilson.

Newcastle back-ups: Woodman (GK), Gillespie (GK), Clark (CB), Fernandez (CB), Manquillo (RB), Dummett (LB), Ritchie (LWB), Hendrick (CM), M. Longstaff (CM), Almiron (CAM), Anderson (CAM), Murphy (RW), Gayle (CF).

(GK = goalkeeper; CB = center back; LB = left back; RB = right back; CM = central midfielder; CAM = attacking midfielder; CF = center forward; LW = left wing; RW = right wing)

Newcastle transfer rumors & news

Here’s the latest on the Newcastle United transfer front based on reports in Europe:

Kieran Trippier looks imminent

Multiple reports around Europe all indicate that Kieran Trippier is likely set to become Newcastle’s first January signing, returning to England after a spell in Spain. Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has stated he doesn’t want Trippier to go, but that the player could decide for himself, saying, “nowadays you can’t hold someone prisoner.”

ESPN reports that the deal is far enough along for Atletico to start moving on replacements. CBS Sports’ Ben Jacobs reports that the Trippier deal will be upwards of $33 million with add-ons, and says the “deal is pretty much there now.”

MORE: When the January window opens and closes around Europe

Will Newcastle seek a new forward?

To add to Newcastle’s already significant list of woes, top scorer Callum Wilson was injured during the festive fixture finale, and suddenly the already thin attack looks even more paltry. Allan Saint-Maximin has also struggled with minor injuries, the target of opponents who often hack the talented winger.

This has caused the Magpies to look for attacking reinforcements, and they are setting their sights high. A name that has cropped up is Real Madrid youngster Luka Jovic, whom the Magpies were rumored to be interested in last summer. Nothing significant has arisen to suggest that a deal is imminent, but Jovic’s name is being thrown around Newcastle blogs

as a sensible possibility. 

According to Brazilian publication Globo, Flamengo is expecting to receive offers for striker Gabigol, and has apparently already received one “derisory” offer from West Ham that wasn’t even dignified with a response. The report names Newcastle as one club that Flamengo is expecting to hear from, although the club will hope the Magpies have a better offer than the $7 million loan with option to buy that was reportedly received from the Hammers.

Newcastle was linked with Moussa Dembele (below) of Lyon back in December, and the Daily Mail claims that he continues to be an option. After breaking through with Fulham, Dembele has seen time with Celtic and Lyon before spending the second half of last season on loan at Atletico Madrid. The Spanish side decided against activating the option to buy, and with his contract expiring in the summer of 2023, Lyon could look to sell this winter. 

Magipes definitely need defenders

While Trippier will be a welcome addition, the Magpies have shipped enough goals this season to indicate that one player alone won’t be sufficient to completely turn things around. Jamal Lascelles has dipped in form this season and his partnership with Fabian Schar has fallen apart.

The most vigorous of rumors is centralized around a loan deal for Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti, who the Spanish club is attempting to move, motivated by a desire to shed his contract and wages. However, the player has reportedly rejected five separate potential transfer deals, according to the Daily Mail and multiple reports. Umtiti was once a key fixture in the Barcelona defense, but he has faded from view, making just one La Liga appearance this season, and his contract expires in the summer of 2023. Other clubs interested are reportedly Turkish side Fenerbahce and an unnamed French club.

Newcastle could be afforded the chance to sign PSG defender Abdou Diallo, according to a report by journalist Liam Kennedy. The deal would be a tricky one as Diallo is on duty with Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations, and if the country progresses deep into the tournament, it could disrupt negotiations through the transfer window deadline. The 25-year-old signed for PSG in the summer of 2019 from Borussia Dortmund but has failed to nail down a meaningful starting spot.

Sven Botman of Lille had been rumored to be interested in a move to Newcastle, and the young Dutch youth international would be an asset for the future as well, but according to Luke Edwards of The Telegraph, Lille is not open to a possible sale with the player under contract through the summer of 2025. The Magpies also reportedly wanted to snatch James Tarkowski from fellow relegation battlers Burnley, but Edwards also reported it to be a remote possibility given Burnley’s struggles.

Newcastle is also rumored to have made a bid for Everton wantaway Lucas Digne (below) according to Sky Sports, and while a reported bid of $30 million plus Sean Longstaff might be enticing, convincing the player to join when teams like Chelsea might come calling will be another task altogether.

Amid all the possibilities of incoming defenders, one player who could depart the club is the aforementioned Fabian Schar. The 30-year-old Swiss international has made 83 appearances for Newcastle since joining in 2018 from Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna, but according to journalist Nicolo Schira, Schar is hoping to sort out a future away from Tyneside this Janaury, with his contract expiring in the summer.

Other potential Newcastle United reinforcements

Newcastle has been linked with countless other players this transfer window, although few of them make much sense.

One name that raises eyebrows is Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek, and as Luke Edwards reports, there’s reason to believe it could happen.

Despite plenty of fan outcry and journalist head-scratching, Van de Beek has hardly been given a chance at Old Trafford despite a host of squad movement, tactical adjustments, and player shifting since he signed in the summer of 2020.

With Newcastle looking for players to fill in all over the pitch, he could be a low-risk option if acquired on loan, and Manchester United could be convinced to let Van de Beek leave given the bloated squad Ralf Rangnick has at his disposal. It would be hard to imagine United giving up completely on Van de Beek with a permanent sale, but a loan could make sense for all involved.