NEWCASTLE have failed in their first attempt to sign highly-rated Brighton winger Anthony Knockaert.

The Magpies have had a bid of around £8m rejected for the 24-year-old, with Brighton chairman Tony Bloom adamant he does not want to break up the squad that came so close to achieving promotion from the Championship last season.

Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez is hoping to strengthen his midfield resources before the end of the transfer window, and has identified Knockaert as a leading target thanks to his proven track record in the second tier.

The Frenchman made more than 90 senior appearances for Leicester City between 2012 and 2015, and returned to English football in January when he joined Brighton in a £2.6m move from Belgian side Standard Liege.

He made a major impact in the second half of last season, scoring five league goals in 19 outings and serving up a succession of assists as Brighton narrowly failed to overhaul Middlesbrough for the second automatic promotion place.

Given that Knockaert still has three years of his current contract remaining, Brighton are in a reasonably strong negotiating position, having also turned down substantial bids for Lewis Dunk and Dale Stephens this summer.

However, Newcastle officials will hope the lure of a possible move to St James’ Park proves a strong one, and are expected to make further contact with Brighton officials over the weekend in an attempt to broker a deal.