Winger talks January exit amid Celtic, Leicester City and Newcastle United interest

Diarra has impressed out wide for Le Mans despite their struggles at the bottom end of Ligue 2 – and those performances have caught the eye of not only United, but also Leicester City and Neil Lennon at Parkhead.

And speaking to Goal, Diarra has broken his silence on the possibility of a winter window exit from France.

“My goal is to play as many games as possible,” he said.

“It’s good to know that several clubs follow you, but leaving Le Mans this winter? I don’t know. I need to stay focused on my season. I’ll watch what is going on and we will see.”

Meanwhile, according to Football Insider, Newcastle are set to recall Elias Sorensen from his failed loan spell at Carlisle United.

The striker has failed to establish himself in League Two and the next steps for Denmark under-21 frontman remain unclear.

Elsewhere, Steve Bruce claims he's unlikely to be busy in the market next month but word behind the scenes suggests otherwise.

Here’s 13 deals which could shape the January transfer window for Newcastle.

One player who is NOT on that list is Hull City’s Jarrod Bowen, with United looking increasingly unlikely to pursue a deal with the in-form Championship second top scorer.

And finally, there's been a BIG shift in Newcastle United's Premier League relegation odds after December results. Here's what the bookies think of Bruce & Co's chances of staying up.