STEVE McCLAREN has been told that Newcastle United are getting closer as he waits to hear who will be his first signing since taking over as head coach.

McClaren will spend the next couple of days preparing for pre-season training with the majority of his squad scheduled to meet up with him for the first time on Wednesday.

But as things stand there will be no new signings joining in the early sessions, with managing director Lee Charnley yet to get a deal over the line.

Fears are increasing among the fans that Newcastle will not strengthen all the areas which are in need of improvement.

McClaren expects to learn of greater progress early this week and there will be further updates from Charnley within the next 48 hours.

Newcastle will have goalkeeper Karl Darlow and defender Jamaal Lascelles involved for the first time since completing a reported £7m deal from Nottingham Forest last summer, having spent last season back on loan at the City Ground.

But McClaren, who took over on June 11, is desperate for more new recruits and is still driving to have Charlie Austin leading the line despite serious interest from West Ham.

The Queens Park Rangers striker has plenty of options after learning that the Hammers and Newcastle are not the only clubs to have had talks with Loftus Road counterparts for the £15m-rated player.

Interest from Chelsea has also caused a problem, even though he would be unlikely to start regularly with Radamel Falcao set to join up with Diego Costa at Stamford Bridge next season. The temptation, however, of joining the champions and competing for honours is there.

Austin got married on Saturday and is ready to make his mind up and tell QPR where he would like to go. Rangers want the £15m fee they value him at and Newcastle are aware that they are unlikely to budge.

What Newcastle do have going for them, though, is that they are prepared to pay for transfers up front this summer, where many clubs tend to deals in instalments.

But it will come down to where Austin would prefer to play his football, particularly as West Ham and Chelsea will offer him a bigger weekly wage, the chance to stay closer to his Hungerford roots and to play in Europe.

McClaren does have alternative options and the path is clearer to signing Wolfsburg’s Bas Dost, even though the German club are keen to keep him in the Bundesliga. Southampton and Borussia Dortmund remain keen too.

Newcastle have maintained an interest in long-standing target Aleksandar Mitrovic, who is also rated in the £15m bracket by Anderlecht.

Attempts to freshen up McClaren’s forward line could be boosted by the sale of Papiss Cisse. Besiktas have expressed an interest, although Newcastle are still demanding £10m for him with two years remaining on his contract.