During the summer, then-manager Steve Bruce wanted to strengthen the midfield with some loan signings. While Leicester’s Hamza Choudhury garnered much of the attention and was likely Bruce’s preferred choice, Tottenham’s Harry Winks was also touted as a potential option.
Of course, Mike Ashley refused to budge on his stance that Bruce must offload before adding. Newcastle are now paying the price without a win in our opening 12 matches in the league.
The Mail has recently reported that Winks could be targetted in the January window. According to Simon Jones, the 25-year-old was on the list of targets over the summer should Newcastle have been able to make room in the 25-man squad.
Jones also reports that Winks is still an option as he meets the criteria for January as a player with Premier League experience. The England international has racked up 112 Premier League appearances in his career.
Winks has not featured much for Spurs over the past few seasons. The Tottenham Academy product made just 15 league appearances last term and has just 8 in all competitions this season.
However, his fortunes may have turned with the appointment of Antonio Conte as Spurs’ new manager over the break. The Italian started Winks in the midfield in the 2-1 come from behind win against Leeds on Sunday.
After the match, Conte named Winks as one of the players who helped spearhead Tottenham’s second-half revival. This is what Conte said as published in football.london:
“I’m pleased because many players are involved today.
“Tanganga, Sanchez when he came in, Winks – he struggled a lot with the rest of the team in the first half, second half he played with a lot of personality and played well.
“Also Sessegnon to come back into the team after injuries was good for us.”
It remains to be seen if Winks will get the consistent playing time under Conte that he didn’t under Espirito Nuno Santo and Jose Mourinho. Though if not, he could be a decent option should become available during the winter window.

181 comments so far
ToonDarnSarf
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:07 PM
Comment #81Moonraker15 – I know. As I said, I wonder if he’d do the job on an interim basis until May alongside the England job.
Peter
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:08 PM
Comment #82Jail… I would just love it
Raj of Hailsley
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:09 PM
Comment #83OGS was a Man U legend mind, his winning goals even that deliberate sending off to bring down Rob Lee, he’s definitely up there.
Mund
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:10 PM
Comment #84Ole found work already
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEzRLL2XIAAd9Xx?format=jpg&name=medium
ToonDarnSarf
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:12 PM
Comment #85Ashingtoon62 – I looked it up and it looks like OGS is 19th on the all-time PL list for goals to minutes ratio. Ahead of Owen. Shearer is 16th and he had a far better ratio at Blackburn than us, yet we’d all agree he’s a Toon legend.
Moonraker15
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:12 PM
Comment #86TDS
Not a chance mate. Even agent Bruce is shorter odds. However they’ve been making bad decisions for years so anything is possible!
Ashingtoon62
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:12 PM
Comment #87Moonraker
as a player not sure if he was captain during all of them.
3 Prem titles
3 Fa Cups
1 League Cup
1 European Cup Winners cup.
No Champions League though to be fair 😉
Fenham to Chalfont
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:14 PM
Comment #88Mund
Nov 22, 2021 at 5:36 PM
Comment #50
Thanks for sharing Mund…
The change with how our new owners are conducting themselves to the previous 14 years of utter contempt and neglect is like night and day, chalk and cheese. So happy to have these owners on board. They really do have the all NUFC supporters and the cities people at heart and not just providing lip service, it’s meant and from the heart as they fully appreciate and understand who we are, what we are and what we’ve endured for all these years under a dictatorship. They are here to right all the wrongs and more, much more. Onwards and upwards HWTL!
NY Mag
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:14 PM
Comment #89Mund,
That was canny funny 🙂
Moonraker15
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:14 PM
Comment #90TDS
We get it ! You’re an OGS fan! In terms of Man Utd legends he’s probably not in the top 500
Ashingtoon62
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:16 PM
Comment #91TDS
Ah the minutes to goal chestnut,therefore: exactly mate hence the term super sub..
I’m fully aware of your ability to try to manipulate stats.
ToonDarnSarf
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:16 PM
Comment #92Moonraker15 – I’m not bothered about odds. They’re not calculated based on who the bookies actually think will get the job, just how to make the most money from gullible people.
If Southgate is willing to talk to the club, I think it would be very good for both parties. But not sure how busy his schedule is for England before May so may not be possible.
Moonraker15
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:18 PM
Comment #93Ashingtoon
Yep! But the class of 92 boys got all the big honours! Giggs over 10 Premier league titles etc! I haven’t checked that it’s a guess!
Mund
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:18 PM
Comment #94Fenham
Mind blowing the difference mate. We are incredibly lucky to have such owners and they haven’t even scratched the surface yet. The city, the club and the whole region will prosper from this new era with this lot in charge. Happy days mate 🙂
ToonDarnSarf
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:20 PM
Comment #95Ashingtoon62 & Moonraker15 – Dunno what you two are on. Doesn’t matter if OGS was a supersub or not, he’s a club legend. Manchester Evening News rank him 31st all time, he’s on the Legends page here https://www.manutd.com/en/players-and-staff/legends and a Bleacher Report article from 2011 lists him in the top 10 Man U legends.
Have whatever opinion you want but the evidence here is overwhelming. Some of you people are really strange thinking that your opinion on a topic overwhelms actual demonstrable facts.
Moonraker15
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:24 PM
Comment #96Mund
Regardless of our league position, it’s a great time to be a toon fan. If the worst happens and we go down,(I don’t think we will), we know we’re coming back.
Otherwise next season’s gonna be fantastic!
Mund
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:24 PM
Comment #97Put it this way if any player scored a winner in a champions league final for the toon whether he was a regular sub or not he would be an instant legend IMO
Mund
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:25 PM
Comment #98Moonraker
Totally agree mate. The future is bright no matter what obstacle is put in front of us.
Moonraker15
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:30 PM
Comment #99TDS
I don’t care what they say about OGS legend status, there’s no way he’s 31st. I could name you 11 from 1 Man Utd team in 1958 that are ahead of him!
Some of them died at Munich. Don’t believe all the bullshit you read in the Manchester evening news! Some of us go back a long way. We even remember when Newcastle had a successful team !
Fenham to Chalfont
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:31 PM
Comment #100Moonraker15
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:24 PM
Comment #96
Very true, good post keep the faith and positivity
🙂
Wor B
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:32 PM
Comment #101Had a reply from ofcom, ref. the suspicious ‘First’ carry-on.
They have confirmed that geordietom and Jail are indeed guilty of running a cartel, but it’s out of their jurisdiction. They went on to say that if it’s annoying TDS, then WTF am I complaining about!
Fair point really.
Peter
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:33 PM
Comment #102no chacne of bruce or southgate
ToonDarnSarf
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:34 PM
Comment #103Moonraker – I don’t want to waste any more time discussing a topic with someone who completely ignores actual demonstrable facts. Google “man utd legends” to see those 3 articles I mentioned and many others.
Except you probably won’t bother…
Peter
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:34 PM
Comment #104fair point
ToonDarnSarf
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:36 PM
Comment #105Wor B – I think it’s more annoying to some others when I post the first post but don’t care…
It’s a bit like if Man Utd win the League Cup and their fans are not bothered because they really care about the league…
Moonraker15
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:37 PM
Comment #106TDS
Correct! I won’t bother!
Raj of Hailsley
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:37 PM
Comment #107Moonraker,
I am by no means an OGS fan in any way shape or form, but to deny he was/is a Man U legend just isn’t quite true, even if does mean having to agree with TDSarf 😕
From the bleacher report:
18. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
There are few players who have attracted greater cult status from their time with Manchester United than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The clinical forward scored arguably the most memorable goal in club history with the winner in the 1999 Champions League final.
Fenham to Chalfont
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:38 PM
Comment #108I see TDS is on again and yet again on a mission to argue about anyone and anything….Bore off you doilem!
ToonDarnSarf
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:39 PM
Comment #109Moonraker15 – because you’re the kind of person who likes to invent their own facts and then argue them until they’re blue in the face, rather than actually research the facts themselves and become more educated.
But ok…whatever you want…
Peter
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:39 PM
Comment #110Wor B what is the chance of getting that guy from Seville? You know the guy who does the haircuts. does that get the 5 points?
check the toastie
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:40 PM
Comment #111Neither Bruce or Ole are legends. Just half decent players who were carried by proper players. One slow and one an average cheating midget both found out in big games. OGS would be forgot about apart from one goal. Remember Stoichkov and Romario making Bruce look like Lascelles. Never forgive OGS for hacking down General Lee at Old Trafford. Less said about Manchester a55holes on this blog the better. Harrrumpphhh. No More please. Its not Mufc blog. Sh1t club
ToonDarnSarf
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:41 PM
Comment #112Jail – Facts are facts. Arguing against OGS being a Man Utd legend is just as dumb as arguing against Ashley taking us backwards, Bruce being a poor PL manager, or that we’re in a relegation battle this season.
All are provable facts.
ToonDarnSarf
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:42 PM
Comment #113Right, I’m off to cook. Not that some of you care…
Raj of Hailsley
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:43 PM
Comment #114Here we get back to ‘it’s an opinion’ however Moonraker says he’s not in the top 500 yet when every single sports magazine, article, journo, fanzine has him ranked from 15th to 31st then sometimes you have to accept your opinion is wrong. Opinions can be wrong.
Peter
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:46 PM
Comment #115TDS as much I did not like Bruce as a manager. he was a good player. You would not turn him down (in his prime) for our defence
Raj of Hailsley
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:50 PM
Comment #116As much as I also like Steve Bruce, as Peter says he was an excellent player, the best player I can think of that never got an England cap.
Wor B
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:51 PM
Comment #117Oh no they can’t!
Just warming up for panto season.
🙂
Raj of Hailsley
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:51 PM
Comment #118TDSarf,
If you’re off to cook, remind your lass to switch the oven off we don’t want to hear about you being over done or even burnt to a crisp 😀
Moonraker15
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:53 PM
Comment #119Jail
Ok I might have exaggerated OGS not being in the top 500, but my point isn’t based on some list in Manchester.
If he hadn’t got a touch on that ball from a deflection of a corner and scored the winner in 1999 we would be saying “Ole who”?
I mean true legends are, Bryan Robson, Dennis Law, Best, Charlton, Beckham!
I’m done sorry for boring all!
Haha I mean Gazza is a legend and he won f***all!
Wor B
Nov 22, 2021 at 6:56 PM
Comment #120Peter
Sorry mate, opera was yesterday’s word game.
Today’s theme is Bond movies, I set the thunderball rolling earlier.
Unfortunately, Moonraker is not allowed to participate. 🙁