Newcastle have grown frustrated with delays in their efforts to sign Stade Reims striker Hugo Ekitike, 90min understands.
A £26m fee has been agreed for the 19-year-old, who has also struck a deal on personal terms as he has been offered the chance to pick up more than treble his current wages at St James' Park.
With most of the hard work already done, Newcastle had been hoping to fly Ekitike in for a medical in the coming days with a view to completing the deal early next week, but sources have now confirmed to 90min that is unlikely to be the case.
The belief is that Ekitike's agent is yet to pull the trigger on the move as payments over their services have yet to be ironed out, with the striker himself not understood to be responsible for any of the hold-up.
Sources close to both clubs have stressed that they are confident this deal will soon be finalised, but Newcastle are growing concerned that the delays are giving rival suitors the chance to plead their case to Ekitike.
Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund are both long-term admirers of the player and could choose to launch late bids for Ekitike if this obstacle in Newcastle's negotiations is not ironed out soon.
Magpies sporting director Dan Ashworth is working on the deal and has told manager Eddie Howe that he is still confident of signing Ekitike, who was among the club's first targets following their takeover midway through last season.
In January, the St James' Park outfit thought they had wrapped up a deal for Ekitike, the highest-scoring teenager in Europe's top-five leagues last season, only talks to collapse late in the transfer window.
Howe has remained determined to bring Ekitike in and Newcastle will continue to work to provide for the manager as soon as possible.
Source : 90min