OK, the transfer window closed at the start of the month, but clubs are now able to bring players in on loan, and it hasn’t taken long for the next round of stories linking the club with a couple of possible signings. The latest is that Simon Grayson is looking at Newcastle United striker Leon Best and Sunderland defender George McCartney.

Newcastle signed Best from Coventry during last January's transfer window, but he has only scored once for the Geordies, and that was, in a pre-season friendly. He is currently a long way from being in contention for a place in the first team and suffered a serious ankle injury earlier in the season, although he is now back in training.

Magpie's boss Chris Hughton has said he want the striker to get some match practise and told local paper the Sunday Sun: "Leon is back in training with us now. Yes, we would consider a loan for Leon if it was right. First and foremost he's got to get fit. Once he's back fit he needs games and if he wasn't getting the amount of games at Newcastle we have to look at it."

Meanwhile, BBC Sport have linked us with Sunderland left-back George McCartney, who is another player with recent injury problems. The Northern Ireland full-back has yet to force his way back into the first team at the Stadium of Light after suffering knee ligament damage in a pre-season game in Portugal, and Steve Bruce wants to give him the opportunity to regain his fitness. The Sunderland boss has confirmed that the two clubs are in talks over a possible loan move for the 29-year-old.

So what to make of these two potential signings from the North-East? Personally, I would be pleased to see McCartney arrive, because Bessone has been consistently appalling at left-back, ever since I first saw him in the pre-season friendly at Bury. We could probably do with him for longer than one month, but that might just give us time for Ben Parker to get fit once again. On the other hand, I really can’t see the point in signing Best, when we’ve got six strikers at the club already and we’re looking to send Grella out on loan.

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