EDDIE HOWE has revealed that the pursuit of a central midfielder will be one of Newcastle United’s key priorities during this summer’s transfer window.

The Magpies signed off for the summer with a 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Sunday, and on the eve of the game at Stamford Bridge, Howe met with co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi to discuss the club’s transfer plans.

Howe has hinted that Newcastle will be looking to make ‘two or three’ high-quality additions this summer, and a new central-midfielder figures prominently on his wanted list.

The Magpies allowed Jonjo Shelvey to join Nottingham Forest in January without recruiting a replacement, and with Howe’s preferred 4-3-3 formation now clearly established as the club’s preferred tactical system, central-midfield resources have become seriously stretched in the last few weeks with Sean Longstaff, Joe Willock and Joelinton all suffering from injury issues.

Anthony Gordon had to swap his more usual wide position for a central-midfield role against Chelsea, and with the added demands of Champions League football to factor in next season, Howe accepts it is imperative that a new central-midfielder arrives this summer.

“It’s a difficult one because we go into a lot of competitions next year, so we need the depth,” said the Magpies boss. “This year, we’ve been light in certain areas of the pitch.

“In the second half of the season, we’ve carried four midfielders, so you’re one injury away from a very difficult situation. So, we need a little bit more depth, certainly with three games in a week next year.”

Newcastle have been linked with a possible move for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, but the England midfielder’s wage demands are likely to make it extremely difficult for the Magpies to be able to pull off a deal.

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Leicester City trio James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and Harvey Barnes have also been touted as potential targets, with all three players expected to leave the King Power Stadium in the wake of the Foxes’ surprise relegation to the Championship.

“We don’t quite have the depth yet,” admitted Howe. “In fairness, we are suffering from injuries at this stage of the season, but that (the lack of options) is a concern for us.

“We do need to bolster our resources because we can’t be looking at a situation where we get two or three injuries and we’re in a difficult position.”

Howe is hoping to enjoy success in the transfer market this summer, but he also accepts it will be crucial that each and every member of the current squad is ready to hit the ground running when pre-season training begins at the start of July.

“The players we currently have, have to be fit and ready to go,” he said. “They have to be ready to prove how good we are all over again.

“We start on zero next season, and that's a healthy way to look at it. We have to prove ourselves all over again. If we can add one or two players that can make the difference in the transfer market, that would be good news.”