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Newcastle: Owners decide on January spending after midnight meeting

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The Magpies’ new chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan has vowed to back the club’s ambitious plans for the winter.

Newcastle crashed out of the FA Cup following a 1-0 defeat against League One outfit Cambridge United. The Magpies’ chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan attended the game alongside his fellow director Amanda Staveley.

According to 90min, the pair have visited manager Eddie Howe and his players after the game. After the short visit, Al-Rumayyan had a meeting with Staveley and his husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, speaking about their January plans.

The meeting has reportedly lasted until midnight, with the Saudi owner vowing to support the Magpies’ plans for the winter. The Magpies will now look to make ‘half a dozen more’ transfers until the end of the current transfer window.

Until now, Newcastle have only signed Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid. The English defender was the club’s top priority for the winter. However, the club will now look for more options to improve their squad.

Newcastle are fighting to get themselves out of the relegation zone, with several positions needing recruitment. The Magpies are eying moves for centre-backs Sven Botman and Diego Carlos, who play for Lille and Sevilla, respectively. However, a move for Botman has reportedly collapsed in the early stages of the negotiations. They are also in the race for Everton’s Lucas Digne, but he reportedly prefers a move to Chelsea.

Another transfer target is Reims striker Hugo Ekitike, about whom Newcastle are in advance talks with the French side. Several sources have confirmed the player will be available for a fee of around £30m.

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