Newcastle United are reportedly prepared to make a €20m (£17.5m) bid for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos in January.
The Magpies strengthened their midfield during the summer transfer window with the £55m arrival of Sandro Tonali from Serie A giants AC Milan.
However, the Magpies confirmed last week that the 23-year-old is under investigation by Italian prosecutors and the Italian Football Federation in relation to illegal betting activity.
At a court hearing in Turin on Tuesday, Tonali is said to have admitted to betting on football games, both in which he played and did not play, for Milan to win during his time with the Italian club.
Tonali, who came on as a substitute in Newcastle's 4-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, is at risk of a lengthy ban from worldwide football ranging between seven months and three years.
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As a result, Newcastle are believed to be scouting the market for a new midfielder heading into the New Year and a plethora of names have been linked with a move to St James' Park.
According to Fichajes, the latest player on Newcastle's radar is 27-year-old Ceballos, who is struggling for regular game time at Real Madrid under manager Carlo Ancelotti.
The report adds that Eddie Howe's side are willing to spend €20m (£17.5m) to sign Ceballos, who is expected to seek pastures new in January.
Ceballos has spent the last six years at Real Madrid, but he represented Arsenal during a two-year loan spell between 2019 and 2021, scoring twice in 77 appearances.
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The 13-cap Spain international struggled with injuries in his first season back at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2021-22 and was reduced to just two starts in all competitions, but he featured regularly for Los Blancos in La Liga last season, starting 19 games and making 11 substitute outings.
However, Ceballos has since fallen down the pecking order under Ancelotti, with summer signing Jude Bellingham, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde all preferred ahead of him in midfield.
Ceballos still has four years remaining on his Real Madrid contract, but it is thought that the midfielder is keen to depart the club in search of regular first-team football.
Real Madrid's No.19 is not the only midfielder believed to be on Newcastle's list of targets, as a recent report claims that Al-Hilal's Ruben Neves, Manchester United's Scott McTominay and Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips are also being monitored by the Magpies.
Oliver Thomas
