Journalist Luke Hatfield reckons that Newcastle are going to be "desperate" to sign centre-backs in January.

Eddie Howe's men remain second bottom of the Premier League after suffering their heaviest defeat of the season at Leicester on Sunday.

What's the latest news with Newcastle?

They appeared to be heading in the right direction after collecting five points from their first four Premier League games under Howe, which was the same amount they amassed from their opening 11 fixtures.

But Newcastle were brought back down to earth last weekend when they conceded four times without reply at the King Power Stadium to stay three points from safety.

Captain Jamaal Lascelles was at fault for the first goal when he fouled James Maddison and conceded a penalty, although replays showed there was minimal contact.

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But Newcastle were carved apart for the next three goals, with Lascelles and Fabian Schar able to do little to stop a ruthless Leicester side from running riot.

Those two have generally been Howe's preferred centre-back pairing since his arrival, although they've let in 10 goals in five games, which suggests that changes are needed in the January window.

And Hatfield strongly believes that Howe is going to need to add defenders to his squad next month.

ENTER GIVEAWAY

What did Hatfield say about Newcastle?

He told GIVEMESPORT: "You do think that Newcastle are going to be desperate for centre-halves. The issue is, would a player consider going to Newcastle in the position they're in."

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Who have Newcastle been linked with?

James Tarkowski has been mentioned ever since their takeover was completed, but the name of Lille centre-back, Sven Botman, has now emerged as a priority for Howe, who's trying to fix Newcastle's defensive problems.

According to the Guardian, the Magpies have entered the race to sign Brentford captain Pontus Jansson, whose deal in West London expires at the end of the season. Leicester and Everton are also in the running for the Sweden international, but Newcastle could pinch him in January for a reduced fee.

Furthermore, PSG centre-back Abdou Diallo has been mentioned by French outlet Foot Mercato as a potential target for the Newcastle owners.