Newcastle ‘want Inter Milan duo Stefan de Vrij and Marcelo Brozovic and Lazio’s Thomas Strakosha’

Newcastle are plotting to sign a trio of Serie A players in the January transfer window, including Inter Milan duo Stefan de Vrij and Marcelo Brozovic, according to reports.

The Magpies are just a few weeks away from their first window spree after their £305million Saudi-led takeover, which has made them the richest club in world football. 

The Magpies are in desperate new of new talent with Eddie Howe’s side currently sitting in 19th place in the Premier League without a win all season.

Newcastle want to sign Inter Milan duo Stefan De Vrij (left) and Marcelo Brozovic (right) in January, say reports

Lazio’s Albanian goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha is another reported target for the Magpies

And according to The Times, Newcastle will target Inter’s international duo De Vrij and Brozovic along with Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha in a bid to improve the spine of their team. 

De Vrij has been an ever-present figure in the Inter defence this season, starting all but one of the Nerazzurri’s Serie A matches with last year’s Serie A champions sitting in third place in the Italian top-flight after a dozen games. 

Meanwhile, Brozovic has been just as important to Simone Inzaghi’s side this season, starting in every single Serie A and Champions League match this season at the heart of Inter’s midfield. 

De Vrij has been a rock at the back for the Nerazzurri and won the Serie A title last season

The Croatian international is a defensive midfielder so would not act as competition for £25m summer signing Joe Willock, who was seen as a long-term investment at St James’ Park following his switch from Arsenal. 

Dutch international De Vrij, meanwhile, would act as competition for club captain Jamal Lascelles and other centre-backs Federico Fernandez and Fabian Schar. 

The Nerazzurri had financial problems over the summer which forced them to sell right-back Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain for £60m and Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea for £98m.

The fall-out over their summer transfer plans led to Antonio Conte’s resignation just a few days after he lifted the Scudetto title in Nerazzurri colours. 

Croatian Brozovic has played in every Serie A and Champions League game for Inter this term

Lazio’s Strakosha has been second-choice to Pepe Reina at the Serie A club recently

Meanwhile, Lazio goalkeeper Strakosha is another reported for Howe’s Newcastle, with the Albanian currently behind former Liverpool shot stopper Pepe Reina in the No 1 pecking order for the southern Italian side. 

Strakosha was the goalkeeper in net for Albania who conceded five goals in the first-half against England last week, with Three Lions captain Harry Kane netting a hat-trick. 

The 26-year-old has spent the last two seasons as second-choice at Lazio and would come in as competition for Martin Dubravka, Freddie Woodman and Karl Darlow at St James’ Park.