Keith Downie teases late 'big-name loan signing' for NUFC; it's a former Ballon D'Or nominee

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has talked up the possibility of a late Newcastle United loan move for Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek. 

The Athletic’s Laurie Whithwell says that that Van de Beek is one of the Man United players ‘looking at exits’ in the final week of the January transfer window.

But he anticipates that any deal will be ‘tricky’ given ‘the money required’.

Van de Beek, a £35.1million signing from Ajax in 2020, has only played 380 minutes of football for The Red Devils this season in all competitions.

He’s been an unused substitute in 14 Premier League matches already in 2021/22.

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Downie was asked whether Van de Beek was a potential marquee signing.

“I think he’s one that would fall into that bracket for Newcastle if he was available on loan,” he said.

“That’s the sort of signing that they could make, that big-name loan signing that could come in.”

Van de Beek certainly ticks the ‘big-name’ box given the fee Man United paid to sign him. This is also a player who started all but one game on Ajax’s run to the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League semifinals and even earned a nomination for the Ballon D’Or.

It also feels like a fairly realistic transfer – Van de Beek will surely be desperate to play, whether that’s to prove to his current employers what he’s capable of when given a run of starts or to advertise his abilities to other suitors.

He might hope to make a similar impact to Joe Willock, who was an eight-goal revelation after making the loan switch from Arsenal this time last year.

Newcastle should, you’d think, be in a position to pay a hefty loan fee too, if that’s what the Red Devils demand.

In other news, could this outcast also be headed for SJP?

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