Source: SKY_Sports
Magpies close in on Harewood
Chris Hughton has confirmed that Newcastle are close to completing a loan deal for Aston Villa's Marlon Harewood.
Injuries to Andy Carroll and Shola Ameobi have forced the Magpies into deploying 18-year-old Nile Ranger as a lone frontman on more than one occasion this term, highlighting their lack of strikers.
Caretaker manager Hughton is determined to solve that problem and boost his forward line with the acquisition of Harewood, but the club are still waiting for the necessary paperwork to complete the deal.
Hughton also points out that he was on the lookout for a striker that would offer the team something different and he feels he has found that with Harewood.
"We are still waiting for finalisation and paperwork to be completed," he told the club's official website.
"But we have an agreement to bring him in and we're very much hoping the deal goes through before the weekend."
"What we were desperate to do was bring in a different type of striker to what we already have here in Andy Carroll and Shola Ameobi and Nile Ranger, who has done ever so well for us.
"He will give us experience and power and pace and of course this moment for him it's also an exciting time and a big challenge for him."
Newcastle are hoping to get the deal finalised in time for the 30-year-old to make his debut away at Ipswich on Saturday.
Harewood is a proven goalscorer at Championship level with over 80 goals in just over 200 games while at Nottingham Forest and West Ham prior to his £4million switch to Villa.
