NEWCASTLE UNITED are attempting to engineer a loan deal for Andros Townsend, but with Crystal Palace reluctant to allow the winger to leave on a temporary basis, Rafael Benitez has conceded it is proving extremely difficult to conduct business in the January window.

Having sold Townsend to Palace for £13m in the summer, Newcastle’s recruitment team are hoping to re-sign the England international on a season-long loan, with a view to a possible permanent deal at the end of the season if the Magpies secure promotion back to the Premier League.

Townsend, who has found himself in and out of the side under Sam Allardyce, has told Palace officials he would like to leave this month, and is understood to be willing to consider the offer of a return to St James’ Park, having left on amicable terms when he triggered a release clause in his contract in July.

However, if he is to leave South London, the Palace hierarchy would rather sell him permanently in an attempt to recoup as much of their £13m investment as possible. Having earmarked Middlesbrough’s Stewart Downing as a potential replacement, Allardyce does not want to lose Townsend on loan.

Further discussions are likely at the start of next week, but having already missed out on a number of targets such as Tom Cleverley, who left Everton to join Watford, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who will be remaining with Chelsea rather than leaving Stamford Bridge on loan, Benitez admits it will be difficult to pull off anything in the next ten days.

Ideally, the Magpies manager would like to sign a central midfielder and a winger, but he is finding clubs reluctant to sell any of their first-team players or quoting sky-high prices that Newcastle are unwilling to pay.

“I have been speaking with Lee (Charnley), but it is the same situation,” said Benitez, ahead of this afternoon’s home game with Rotherham United. “We are talking with players and agents, and just waiting. It has to be right player, but I have confidence that we can do something.

“It’s not about having to convince players, it’s a question of finding the right one for us. Maybe the club’s don’t want to sell, or maybe the price is too high, so you don’t waste time. Then you have to go abroad and look for different players, but it is the same situation.

“The players doing well at the teams at the top are in Europe, so why do they have to go now? Maybe they can wait until next year. We haven’t had too many players saying no because of this though, what we have is prices that are very high which we aren’t even considering.”

Newcastle will not be signing Townsend if Palace continue to demand at least £13m, but there is a hope that the London club’s stance will soften as the transfer deadline approaches, particularly if the England international continues to agitate for a move.

Allardyce is understood to have spoken with Townsend this week, and while Benitez would not comment on the specifics of the ongoing transfer discussions, the Palace boss was more forthcoming as he effectively ruled out a loan move.

“I wouldn’t want to lose anyone,” said Allardyce. “We’ve got a small squad already – I want them fit and fighting for Palace.

“But in this window you never know what will happen. You have to keep your options open. Nobody is for sale unless the price is something we cannot afford to turn down.”

Benitez is similarly reluctant to lose any of his current squad members, with Cheick Tiote the only Newcastle player likely to be leaving Tyneside this month.

The Newcastle boss has ruled out a loan departure for goalkeeper Rob Elliot, and has also ruled out any prospect of Tim Krul returning from his loan deal at Ajax. The Dutchman could, however, be recalled and loaned elsewhere if there is little prospect of him playing for Ajax’s first team.

“I am happy with Rob Elliot,” said Benitez. “He has to keep playing with the Under-23s to improve his fitness, but he is training normally.

“Tim Krul is away on loan. We have three keepers here so there is no need to bring him back. I have been in contact with him and hopefully he can start playing a few more games now.”

Benitez’s immediate priority is this afternoon’s game with Rotherham, with Daryl Murphy set to return to the starting line-up after being rested for Wednesday’s FA Cup replay win over Birmingham.

Murphy is currently the only fit centre-forward on Newcastle’s books, although Aleksandar Mitrovic should be available for next weekend’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at Oxford United and Dwight Gayle’s recovery from a hamstring injury remains on track.

Whereas Gayle likes to play on the shoulder of the last defender, Murphy is more of an old-fashioned target man, and Benitez will be instructing his midfielders to alter their approach in an attempt to play to the Irish international’s strengths.

“They’re very different players,” he said. “When we had to change the team the other day (at Brentford), you’re losing someone who can run behind defenders, always a threat. For the big centre-backs, if they stay high he can run behind, if they drop off is leaves space, so he can kill you.

“To have a target man is always different and you have to play in a different way, play more crosses. Sometimes, the defenders can deal with these kind of players a bit better because they are bigger too. It changes everything.”