Transfer speculation is heating up on Tyneside with the January transfer window less than four weeks away.
Newcastle fans will be excited for the first time in years at the thought of the transfer market opening as Amanda Staveley & Co will be given their first opportunity to invest in the playing squad.
The Magpies currently sit in the Premier League’s relegation zone, so the new consortium will be looking to splash their cash on arrivals that can help keep Newcastle top flight - or risk becoming the richest club in the Championship next season.
Go here for the latest Newcastle United transfer updates
Chronicle Live looks at what squad numbers will be available to any potential incomings.
No.4
The number four shirt has been worn by a plethora of midfield generals on Tyneside.
Club captain Kevin Nolan famously donned the shirt between 2009-2011, with fan favourite Yohan Cabaye taking on his number before he was sold to PSG for £20million in 2014.
Since then, it has been passed around by Ryan Taylor, Jack Colback and Ki-Sung-Yueng, with the most recent occupant, surprisingly, being youngster Matty Longstaff - currently on loan at Aberdeen.
If Newcastle were to sign an elite central midfielder in January, stick your money on him being given the number four shirt.
No.13
Considered unlucky for some, but that wasn’t the case for Martin Dubravka - who wore number 13 when he first came to Tyneside in 2018.
The most famous occupant of the jersey was Steve Harper, who was given this shirt for most of his 20-year career at Newcastle while serving as Shay Given’s understudy.
No. 15
Jamal Lewis was number 15 before changing to 12 ahead of the current campaign, with skipper Jamaal Lascelles also wearing this shirt in recent years.
A versatile digit that can be used for any position, you get the sense that any big-money signing will not be sticking with number 15 for very long if previous occupants are anything to go by…
Facundo Ferreyra, Kenedy and Nacho Gonzales were some of the flops to have worn this shirt.
No. 20
Newcastle have not had a number 20 since Florian Lejeune in the 2019-20 season.
Leon Best - who wore 20 for two seasons between 2010-2012 - is the only other player to have done the number any justice in recent times, with Geremi, Remy Cabella and Florian Thauvin flopping during their spells on Tyneside.
No. 25
Jamie Sterry was the last player to wear 25 - during the 2018/19 season. Even then, the Geordie defender only managed to make three cup appearances that campaign…
If tradition is anything to go by, this shirt will likely be given to a future winger, with Gabriel Obertan, Andros Townsend and Kazenga LuaLua all playing for Newcastle with this shirt on their back.
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