NEWCASTLE UNITED have been fine-tuning their recruitment plans for the January transfer window, with improving their options in the attacking third set to be their main priority at the start of next year.

With sporting director Paul Mitchell overseeing the recruitment process, a series of high-level meetings have taken place in the last couple of weeks aimed at ensuring Newcastle head into January with the best possible chance of achieving their aims.

Head coach Eddie Howe has been heavily involved in the discussions, and while there were suggestions of tension between the head coach and Mitchell earlier this summer, senior club sources claim there is now confidence that the pair have established a relationship that will enable them to work together effectively.

There is an acceptance within Newcastle’s recruitment operation that January is often a difficult month in which to do business. Nevertheless, after the challenges of the summer, which saw the forced sales of Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh in order to comply with PSR regulations followed by a failure to sign Marc Guehi despite a succession of bids, there is a strong desire to make signings in January in order to conclusively draw a line under the last window.

Ideally, Newcastle would like to sign a right-sided attacker, which has been a long-standing aim, and a new forward in January, although there is an acknowledgement that the latter ambition might have to be achieved next summer, when more players are likely to be available.

The Magpies were willing to commit £70m to the purchase of Guehi in the summer, and that money remains available. With the club having entered a new PSR accounting period at the end of June, there is also scope to commit additional funds to the transfer kitty, although any additional spending in January would have an impact on the level of funds that are available in future windows.

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Newcastle made a late attempt to sign Anthony Elanga in the summer, and the Nottingham Forest winger remains a target for the right-sided attacking role. He is far from the only player being considered, however, with Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo also understood to have featured in recruitment discussions. Semenyo, who has been in excellent form in the first two months of the season, has been heavily linked with a move away from the Vitality Stadium.

The Magpies will continue to consider moves for players based in the Premier League, however Mitchell has been keen to broaden the club’s recruitment gaze since being appointed in the summer. The process of strengthening overseas scouting networks and improving the quality and use of data and analytics will not happen overnight, but there has been a concerted effort to remodel the way Newcastle operate when it comes to identifying and assessing potential signings. Initially, the focus has been on continental Europe, with club representatives understood to have been especially active in France and Germany in the last couple of months.

The desire to strengthen at centre-forward in January reflects, at least in part, the ongoing uncertainty over the future of Callum Wilson. The 32-year-old, who has not made a single appearance so far this season because of injury, is due to become a free agent in the summer, and there is a growing likelihood that he will not be offered a new deal on Tyneside.

Lille striker Jonathan David has been discussed, although Newcastle will face intense competition from clubs right across the continent if they opt to make a move for the Canada international.

David’s current contract with Lille is due to expire next summer, and given the indications that he will not be signing a new deal with the Ligue 1 club, he will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs not based in France in January. David has scored eight goals in 13 games for Lille this season, and netted the winner in a Champions League victory over Real Madrid earlier this month.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a longer-standing target, and like David, the Everton striker is due to become a free agent next summer.

He is not expected to sign a new deal with the Toffees, meaning his current employers could be tempted to sell for a knockdown fee next month rather than run the risk of losing the 27-year-old for nothing at the end of the season.

Calvert-Lewin has struggled with injuries in the last few years, but the England international was injury-free for most of last season and has made seven starts for Everton in the current campaign, scoring two goals.