Newcastle have told West Bromwich Albion they do not want to let Dwight Gayle leave on loan – so the Baggies are looking at other strikers to plug the gap up front.
Slaven Bilic is desperate to sign a goalscorer before the window shuts on Thursday, and was keen to bring the 23-goal marksman back to The Hawthorns on a temporary basis.
But Newcastle are only willing to sell Gayle for a fee, while the 29-year-old is also holding out for a permanent move.
Albion are open to a loan deal with an option to buy included in case they win promotion, but are unable to afford a multiple-year deal on £65,000 a week.
It’s believed a permanent deal for Gayle would also require a hefty signing-on fee.
The Baggies are not willing to wait until the final hours of the window to see if Gayle becomes available on loan, and are pushing ahead with other targets.
They remain interested in Albian Ajeti, who scored 21 goals for Basel last season, but West Ham and Brentford are also keen on the 22-year-old.