Latest transfer news hints at major policy shift at Newcastle

Newcastle United already have their sights set on the January transfer window.

Newcastle United completed six deals in the extended summer transfer window that ended on October 5th. The front office spent £33.7m to secure the services of Callum Wilson (£20m), Jamal Lewis (£13.5m), Ryan Fraser (free), Jeff Hendrick (free), Mark Gillespie (free), and Rodrigo Vilca (£250,000).

The latest transfer news from TeamTalk indicates that fans should expect more business from the Magpies in January. According to the report, Newcastle United are interested in signing Celtic ace Ryan Christie for an affordable fee of £10m.

The 25-year-old midfielder has made a name for himself with the Scottish giants after scoring 20 goals and completing 14 assists in 47 league appearances. Christie has started in seven games this season, and already has two goals and four assists on the stat sheet.

The 25-year-old with 13 international caps for Scotland seems to be interested in making a move south of the border like some of his fellow countrymen, which most recently includes Kieran Tierney at Arsenal.

Celtic have put a contract extension on the table for Christie to consider, but the midfielder has not agreed to a new deal.

His age fits the bill for Mike Ashley’s traditional transfer policy of signing players under the age of 26, but a new policy is also evident with this potential move. When looking at five of the six players Newcastle United signed this summer, they are from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland.

Signing Christie would add another player from the region to the squad. Over the last decade, fans have seen Newcastle United target players from France, Spain, Senegal, and South America, but the attention has now turned to the United Kingdom and Ireland.