Fenerbahce midfielder Fred has emerged as a possible January loan signing for Newcastle United, according to a report.
Only three months after forking out £55m to sign Sandro Tonali from AC Milan, the Magpies have now lost the Italy international for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign.
During the recent international break, Azzurri trio Tonali, Nicolo Fagioli and Nicolo Zaniolo were all implicated in an illegal betting scandal, seeing the former and latter pull out of the Italy squad.
Juventus lynchpin Fagioli was given a seven-month suspension after admitting to the gambling offences, but Tonali remained available for selection while his sanction was being determined.
The former Milan midfielder - who was confirmed to have suffered from a gambling addiction by his agent - came off the bench against Borussia Dortmund and Crystal Palace amid reports of an imminent 10-month suspension.
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Having bet on Milan to win matches during his time as a Rossoneri player, Tonali was hit with a longer suspension than Fagioli, and his 10-month ban was confirmed by FIFA and Newcastle on Friday.
The 23-year-old will therefore not be eligible to represent Eddie Howe's side until the 2024-25 season, and the Magpies could try to bolster their engine room in January with a short-term loan deal.
Financial Fair Play regulations could prevent Newcastle from bringing in another player permanently, but according to Turkish outlet Fotomac, the Magpies have listed Fred as a loan target.
The Brazilian lynchpin ended his five-year stay with Man United to join Fenerbahce in a €9.7m (£8.5m) deal during the summer window, as the Red Devils took a significant hit on their €59m (£51.5m) investment.
Fred has hit the ground running in Turkey, setting up five goals in his first 13 games for Fenerbahce across the Super Lig and Europa Conference League, registering at least one assist in each of his first three continental appearances so far.
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The 30-year-old has also started in each of Fenerbahce's last eight Super Lig matches, ending up on the winning side in all of them as the Turkish giants continue to sweep aside every team in their wake.
Fred's contract with Fenerbahce runs until 2027 with the option of an additional year, but he is said to be one of four loan targets for Howe in the January transfer window, where the Magpies could also explore the Saudi Pro League market.
Al-Hilal's Ruben Neves and Al-Ittihad's N'Golo Kante are also understood to be on Newcastle's radar, and the Magpies' Middle Eastern connections could make a deal for either man more feasible than Fred.
Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips has also been linked with a switch to St James' Park, as has Scott McTominay, but Manchester United are unlikely to sanction the latter's exit midway through the season.
Ben Knapton
