Emile Smith Rowe has emerged as a target for Newcastle United in the January transfer window, according to a report.

Scott Wilson reports for The Northern Echo that Newcastle United’s ownership group are set to meet imminently to sort out their January transfer plans, and Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe has emerged as an early potential target.

The Newcastle owners plan to meet before the end of the international break, with club manager Eddie Howe also involved in the discussions.

It’s not expected that Newcastle will have scope for major incomings in January, having already committed to around £150m of signings in the summer window.

But Smith Rowe has already been discussed internally as a potential target.

Smith Rowe has also been linked with West Ham United, and a recent report from Graeme Bailey suggested that both Aston Villa and Newcastle were in the race for the player.

The Northern Echo claim it’s been suggested Arsenal would want £50m for Smith Rowe, and that would force Newcastle to have to be creative with a deal.

To avoid FFP issues, Newcastle would probably want a loan deal with an option to buy, as with the summer signing of Lewis Hall from Chelsea.

Arsenal fans should probably take this report with a pinch of salt, after Kieran Tierney was heavily linked with Newcastle throughout 2023, only for the club to pivot to Hall instead.

It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to suggest that Newcastle may have been using the Tierney links to help them in negotiations for other left-back targets like Hall. So we’ll have to wait and see whether the Smith Rowe talk is based on any genuine interest.