Imagine him & Bruno: Howe must land NUFC swoop for £17.1m gem who "radiates calmness" - opinion

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe strengthened his team with a host of new signings throughout the January window.

The Magpies head coach was given the funds by PIF to make major additions to his squad in the form of Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Matt Targett, Bruno Guimaraes and Dan Burn.

These players, along with the existing playing roster, have propelled the Toon clear of relegation. They are 11 points above the bottom three in the Premier League with three games left to play and look set for another year in the top flight.

The focus may now turn to the summer transfer window and the players they want to bring in to take the team to the next level.

Earlier this season, it was reported that Newcastle are interested in landing Borussia Dortmund gem Axel Witsel at the end of the campaign with a contract offer of €7m (£6m) per season.

They have recently been handed a golden opportunity to go through with that, as the Belgian midfielder has confirmed that he will be a free agent this summer, stating earlier this month: “I’ll be gone next season. I am very happy that I have played here (Dortmund) for four years at the highest level. But I am sad to leave the club. I have many friends and great teammates here.”

Howe must now pounce on this chance to swoop for the enforcer, for whom Dortmund paid €20m (£17.1m), as he would be a superb addition to the Newcastle squad with his quality and experience at the top level.

Dortmund icon Marco Reus previously heaped praise on the Belgian battler, saying: “Axel has a lot of international experience as a number six and a number eight. He radiates calmness and self-confidence – in critical situations, too. Axel showed what he can do at the World Cup. He will make us better.”

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