Newcastle United are reportedly lining up a January move for Anderlecht defender Kara Mbodji.

Mbodji's performances for the Belgian outfit have garnered interest from around Europe, with the Senegal skipper having started 10 of Anderlecht's 14 league matches so far this season.

Newcastle are among the clubs understood to have contacted the 28-year-old's agent Ediz Balkan, but they are likely to face competition for his signature with as many as six or seven interested parties from the Premier League alone.

"Kara has attracted a lot of interest from Premier League sides, we held talks with representatives from those clubs in London last Sunday," Balkan is quoted as saying by The Chronicle.

"There are six or seven clubs from the Premier League in talks but I can't reveal the offers right now. There is also interest from Italy and Spain while the big three in Turkey have also held talks."

Newcastle are understood to have held a long-standing interested in the £10m-rated defender - who can also play as a holding midfielder - having scouted him at his previous club Genk.