Newcastle United are hoping to tie up a loan deal for ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Nabil Bentaleb.
The Algerian international is expected to join until the end of the season from Schalke 04 with Steve Bruce hoping he can bolster his midfield.
Bentaleb is open to a permanent move after snubbing a switch to Crystal Palace in favour of the Magpies.
The 6ft 2in midfielder had been relegated to the reserves with Schalke and is looking for a fresh start.
He said earlier this season:"The situation with the club is a bit complicated at the moment.
"That's no secret. To be concrete, they don't want me to train with the first-team squad or to be associated with the squad in any way.
"When I say 'they', I mean the management and not the coach. In principle, I'm waiting to leave."
Bruce is also keen to tie down a deal for Inter Milan's Valentino Lazaro in the next couple of days.
