The Moroccan international has been in excellent form for Stuttgart but the German side could be open to offers

The January transfer window can't come too soon for Newcastle United - or at least that is the hope after a frustrating opening 10 games of the Premier League season.

Matthias Jaissle and his squad have struggled to impose themselves in any match since the opening two games which saw them take four points from Liverpool and Tottenham in what proved to be something of a false dawn.

Powder-puff up top and porous at the back is not a healthy combination. Defensive performances may have improved with Dan Burn's return to the side, but it feels as though every single mistake is being punished.

All those errors have been compounded by Newcastle's inability to put the ball in the back of the net at the other end. Jaissle wants to play with a No 10, but United don't have anyone remotely suited to the role, while the lack of a goalscoring No 9 means any mistakes in defence are proving fatal.

Newcastle are said to be ready to act in the January window. The summer saw eight new arrivals but, other than Matias Fernandez-Pardo, the goalscoring roles were overlooked.

Croatia striker Dion Drena Beljo is said to be on United's radar, while Stuttgart playmaker Bilal El Khanouss is a potential target, with the German side open to offers.

Make sure you never miss the latest Newcastle United news and opinion by making Chronicle Live one of your Google preferred sources. The Moroccan forward appears to be the ideal fit. Still only 22, he has experience of playing in the Premier League with Leicester City and has seen his career come on leaps and bounds since moving the Bundesliga. I saw first-hand just how good he is on a recent trip to Germany, where we took in the Stuttgart's 4-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen. El Khanouss was electric, operating in the hole between the Stuttgart backline and midfield, and creating chances throughout, scoring their third goal in what was an impressive performance. His ability to find space is what stood out, with the Moroccan offering exactly what Newcastle are missing right now. There are a couple of caveats. Firstly, the game was wide open - an end-to-end affair was an entertaining watch, but you do not get that much space and time in the Premier League. Secondly, El Khanouss is not the answer to Newcastle's goalscoring issues. He woud create chances aplenty and weigh in with his fair share, but without a No 9 ahead of him, his talents would be under-used. It was only 90 minutes, but he clearly demonstrated he can deliver what Jaissle wants from the role, something that United are struggling to achieve with the current squad. A fee of €40m feels like a steal. Newcastle should snap Stuttgart's hands off.