Newcastle United have now made contact over a potential deal to welcome a former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder back to the Premier League, according to reports.
Eddie Howe: Newcastle "weren't a mess" vs Sunderland
Newcastle just can't find any consistency at the moment. From last-gasp Champions League draws and impressive victories over the likes of Manchester City to a 1-0 defeat in the Tyne-Wear derby at the hands of Sunderland, the Magpies are quickly becoming one of the toughest sides to predict in the league.
Defeat at the Stadium of Light sparked more questions about Eddie Howe's tenure than ever before in Tyneside. Club captain Bruno Guimaraes even slammed the performance at full-time in a brutally honest review, but Howe has chosen to remain optimistic about his side's display.
He told reporters earlier this week: "I think Bruno's comments, he was 90 per cent right initially.
"I don't think we were a mess. I don't think the other parts of his original comments were wrong. But we weren't a mess. We were very well organised. We just didn't deliver the performance that we wanted to. I think Bruno's very emotional and that's part of his success.
"That's why he's such an outstanding player for us and leader for us but it's making sure our messaging is right to the outside world. The second statement he put across is 100 per cent right and that's what we need. The mindset now is we can't affect the past. We can only affect the future and we need to do that together."
Whether Guimaraes was right or wrong last weekend, there's no doubt that Newcastle need reinforcements in January if they are to set their sights on European qualification once again.
Welcoming a player with experience on Europe's biggest stage certainly wouldn't be a bad idea on that front either, making Giovani Lo Celso a standout target.
According to reports in Spain, Newcastle have now made contact over a deal to sign Lo Celso in the January transfer window. The former Tottenham midfielder has struggled to make his mark in La Liga this season, scoring once in 13 games, and could now be on his way back to the Premier League.
At his best, the Argentine is capable of unlocking the most stubborn defences and at just €25m (£22m), he'd be a bargain deal for Newcastle if they managed to finally get him back to his best, free-flowing form in Tyneside.
Dubbed "great" by former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou the last time that he was in the Premier League, Lo Celso may come back to haunt those in North London and end some unfinished business in England when the January transfer window arrives.
It all comes down to consistency for the Argentine, who only showed glimpses of his best at Spurs. Newcastle can't afford to splash more money on midfielders who fail to live up to expectations and there's no denying that Lo Celso would be a risk.