Newcastle United are having a fantastic season in the Premier League so far, and there is no doubt that Eddie Howe must be thrilled with how his squad has transformed since he arrived at St James’ Park just 13 months ago.

The Magpies are currently third in the table after picking up 30 points from a possible 45 in their first 15 games and suffering just one defeat so far, but now the former Bournemouth boss will be hoping that his team can continue their phenomenal form when they return to action against Leicester City on Boxing Day.

If Newcastle can keep up their winning ways, they could be in with a chance to secure Champions League qualification inside the top four at the end of the season, an achievement which would put the club ahead of schedule in their long-term project.

Although Howe boasts an incredibly on-form group of players, the Magpies will not only want to deliver beyond expectation in the Premier League but also in any domestic cup competitions for which they are currently still competing, with both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup representing opportunities for the manager to deliver the club’s first major trophy in over half a century.

As a result, next month’s transfer window could be the perfect opportunity for Howe to add some quality depth to his squad and potentially strengthen the forward line even further to keep Newcastle competing on all fronts over the rest of the season.

One player who has been linked with a move to St James’ Park this month is France and Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram, who could become a hugely valuable asset to Newcastle.

In 15 Bundesliga appearances this season, the £8.5m-valued ace – who was dubbed “phenomenal” by former Gladbach team-mate Denis Zakaria – has scored 10 goals, delivered three assists and created three big chances, along with averaging two shots on target, 1.5 dribbles completed and 4.6 successful duels per game.

Furthermore, Thuram ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers over the top five European leagues in 2022 for non-penalty goals, shots in total, dribbles completed and interceptions, displaying exactly why Didier Deschamps selected him in his France squad for the World Cup, in which they face Argentina in the final tomorrow.

The 25-year-old has yet to start in Qatar but has still made four substitute appearances totalling 76 minutes, grabbing an assist in the 3-1 win over Poland in the round of 16 [Sofascore].

Howe could even land his very own Victor Osimhen for Newcastle, with the Napoli striker named as the most comparable positional peer to the French goal machine, according to FBRef.

The two forwards have shared many similarities over their season, so far including goal contributions (13 v 11), pass completion rate (72.3% v 72.2%), shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (2.60 v 2.50) and goal-creating actions per 90 minutes (0.53 v 0.40).

With that in mind, the signing of Thuram would be a major coup for the Magpies, and if the powers at St James’ Park can secure his signature in the New Year, it could put Newcastle in a great position to compete at the highest level in all competitions.