Newcastle United's winter transfer window narrative has unfolded slowly during a bleak January but now looks set to come to a barren conclusion - unless sporting director Ross Wilson can pull a rabbit out the hat on deadline day.

Back on December 1, Wilson insisted that Newcastle do have money to spend but it may not be as simple as writing a couple of cheques, and so it has proved so far.

Wilson said then: "Can we spend in January? Yes. If we want to, we can. I think it’s fairly obvious to everybody given the level of club spend in the summer that we’re not going to do that again in the winter window as well, for a variety of reasons.

"But if we want to spend, we can. Of course, we’ll be creative, of course we’ll be opportunistic as well. But probably the most important thing is that it would have to align with what the summer plan looks like, which is the bigger squad plan."

Between late December and deadline day, Newcastle have unturned a number of stones...