Newcastle United are reportedly eager to sign three players from Chelsea this month.
The Magpies are third in the Premier League and maintained their impressive form with a last-gasp 1-0 win over Fulham on Sunday.
Eddie Howe is keen to improve his squad and secure Champions League football at St James' Park for the first time since 2003.
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Per the Telegraph, Newcastle could test Chelsea's resolve for two midfielders and a forward. Among the options are Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Hakim Ziyech.
Gallagher returned to Stamford Bridge over the summer following a promising loan spell at Crystal Palace.
He's started eight Premier League games this season and managed to earn a place in England's World Cup squad, although he didn't make a single appearance.
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Fellow academy graduate Loftus-Cheek is a long-term target of Newcastle's head of recruitment Steve Nickson and they've attempted to seal his signature twice previously.
Chelsea boss Graham Potter likely wouldn't want to sell the duo as Chelsea's injury problems in midfield mount.
N'Golo Kante hasn't featured since August due to a hamstring injury, while Denis Zakaria is likely to miss a month of action with a knee issue.
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One player the Blues are willing to part with is Hakim Ziyech. The Morocco international joined from Ajax in 2020, but has only started four games this season.
He registered an assist in Sunday's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace but that was his first goal contribution this term. What could aid Newcastle's pursuit of Ziyech is Chelsea's bloated squad.
If they want to register January arrivals Benoit Badiashile, Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk for their Champions League squad, they'll have to omit one of their current non-homegrown players.
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Selling Ziyech would immediately make registering the trio a non-issue. Newcastle signed five players last January to save themselves from Premier League relegation.
Howe admitted last month the need for incomings isn't as severe. He explained: "We are in a very different position to where we were last year. We knew we needed to add good numbers to get through the door to try to lift the group.
"Now we are in a different position, we are also in a different position with FFP to what we were last year. Where we didn't have a legacy of transfer fees, we had a gap there that we could attack. But we are in a different position now."
Topics: Chelsea, Newcastle United, Premier League