The Magpies are desperate to boost their thin strikeforce, and contacted Leeds this week about McCormack.
The 27-year-old finished last season as the Championship’s leading scorer with 29 goals after the best campaign of his career.
But he is keen to try his hand in the Premier League, and is understood to have told Leeds that he wants to leave after being unhappy with the Yorkshire club’s treatment of former manager Brian McDermott, who was sacked last month.
West Ham United, Celtic and Leicester have been linked with the Scotland international, who is under contract until 2017.