According to reports today, Newcastle United have held transfer meetings to discuss striker targets as preparations for the January transfer window begin to hot up.
United’s scouting network have taken in games recently in Belgium, Holland, France and Spain, with operations classed as “business as usual” for Alan Pardew’s backroom recruitment team.
Newcastle have been linked with Anderlecht’s Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic this week.
But the Chronicle reports that United have other targets.
Pardew wants Demba Ba back from Besiktas, but Mike Ashley's wage cap rules him out.
One striker that has been mentioned again in Newcastle’s transfer talks is Andre-Pierre Gignac of Marseille, but you can rule that one out too.
Andre-Pierre Gignac happy at Marseille?
The Marseille striker is a player United are aware of but a St James' Park 'insider' claims Pardew is not too impressed by what he has seen of the player.
According to the Chronicle, the player "is keen on Newcastle and has already turned down West Ham and West Brom".
He is valued at £7million, but at 28 he is hardly a player who can be bought and sold on for a profit at a later date ... and that is the way that Ashley sees it.