Source: Northern_Echo
Magpies scouring European market
NEWCASTLE United boss Alan Pardew admits his search for potential summer signings is already well under way.[LNB] With three games left until the Premier League season draws to a close, the Magpies boss is scouring the European market in a bid to add depth and quality to turn his side into a real force in the topflight next season.[LNB] After the £35m sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool in January, Pardew will be armed with a sizeable war chest to reinvest in Newcastle's wafer-thin squad but he admits he won't put a number on how many players he wants until contract issues with some of his current stars are resolved.[LNB] Joey Barton and Jose Enrique have both stalled on signing new deals at the club with the pair keen to wait until the end of the season before deciding on their futures.[LNB] Barton is due to enter the final 12 months of his Magpies deal this summer and has recently admitted his concerns over the club's ambitions.[LNB] West Ham and Tottenham are already understood to have expressed an interest, while Enrique, who is in a similar position, is also attracting interest.[LNB] With that in mind, Pardew is keen to keep his cards close to his chest until he has secured new deals for some of his key men.[LNB] I haven't put a figure on that, because it depends on the re-negotiations of players we have, he said.[LNB] Joey, Enrique and Nolan are still outstanding and maybe others I won't mention that we still need to secure.[LNB] There's a lot to be done, but the process has started, I can assure you of that.[LNB] Not wanting to be left behind in the race to sign players in the summer, Pardew has been sending his scouting team around Europe for the past few months, and he has already made inquiries for some of his targets.[LNB] It is understood the club have tabled bids for Lorient forward Kevin Gameiro and Toulouse full-back Cheikh M'Bengue, but French international Gamiero is said to favour a move to Spain instead.[LNB] There is also interest in Toulouse midfielder Franck Tabanou, while Newcastle scouts were spotted in Germany over the weekend watching Bundesliga outfit Hamburg.[LNB] We're looking, Graham Carr and the scouting team, we've very much on the ball and understand exactly where the European market is and the targets we have, Pardew added.[LNB] Yes we have (made inquiries).[LNB] We've made contact with a few clubs about the availability of players, I think that's important.[LNB]
