NEWCASTLE UNITED have transfer targets in mind for January, but Steve McClaren wants to end the year on a high to strengthen his recruitment plans.

The Magpies are a point shy of fourth-bottom Bournemouth – who they face on the south coast tomorrow – after 11 games despite signs of improvement in recent weeks.

But McClaren accepts his chances of landing the men he wants in the new year could be reduced if Newcastle fail to put some daylight between themselves and the bottom three.

Ajax’s young winger Anwar el-Ghazi was the latest mentioned yesterday, with chief scout Graham Carr known to have watched him.

McClaren would like three new players during the transfer window to improve a team which has failed to get off to a promising start under him.

At least one new defender is high in his thinking, and Schalke’s Joel Matip is constantly touted as a possible arrival despite McClaren’s reluctance to sign him last the summer.

There is also a need for a new goalkeeper because of the season-long injury sustained by Tim Krul.

McClaren, who could have to move players on to increase funds to spend after being given almost £50m in his first summer in charge, hopes that goalkeeper Rob Elliot will be fit enough to face the Cherries tomorrow, having spent the week contemplating whether to ask the Football Association to grant an emergency loan deal.

But with the international break on the horizon, he has put that off and is banking on either Elliot or teenager Freddie Woodman performing well.

One of McClaren’s earliest decisions after taking over was to allow Remy Cabella to move on. He returned to France after an unsuccessful year on Tyneside and is impressing for Marseille, while Florian Thauvin struggles in the Premier League.

Cabella still had no regrets. He explained: “I played big teams in one of the best leagues in the world.

"I had bad moments, it's true. I arrived in a team that weren't playing much football. At certain times, I wasn't enjoying myself.

"I need a team that plays the ball. I joined Marseille to rediscover something that suits me better."

Cabella is not the only Frenchman to have enjoyed a new lease of life after leaving Newcastle.

Hatem Ben Arfa was recalled to the France squad by Didier Deschamps yesterday after starting the season well with Nice.

Ben Arfa, who left Newcastle in January after a fall-out with the coaching staff, had previously disappointed Deschamps so he was not expecting to play for his country again.

But he is in line to figure in upcoming friendlies against England and Germany.

Deschamps said: “Why not? My thinking is about what he has done with Nice. If someone can bring something to the France team, it doesn’t matter if he has had a problem with me. He has learned from his experiences and is now more fulfilled.”

Ben Arfa has scored seven and laid on two goals during his first 12 games for Nice.