NEWCASTLE UNITED have expressed an interest in Hull City winger Kamil Grosicki, and are finally set to complete the signing of Florian Lejeune after the centre-half flew to Tyneside to undergo a medical last night.

Rafael Benitez presided over the opening day of pre-season training yesterday, and having become increasingly frustrated at a lack of movement on the transfer front, the Magpies manager should finally be able to confirm Lejeune's arrival within the next 24 hours.

The 26-year-old's £8.7m move from Eibar has dragged on for more than a fortnight, even though his contract with his Spanish employers featured a pre-agreed buyout clause.

Newcastle officials held a series of discussions in an attempt to iron out a payment schedule for the French centre-half, and weeks of wrangling finally came to an end when an agreement was reached over the weekend.

Lejeune travelled to England yesterday, and is set to complete a medical this morning. Provided there are no problems, his transfer should be finalised later today, enabling him to join the rest of the Newcastle squad on a training camp in Ireland, which is due to begin this weekend.

Grosicki’s potential move from Hull is at a much more formative stage, but having been offered an opportunity to sign the Polish winger, Benitez has instructed Newcastle’s recruitment team to keep a close eye on the situation.

Grosicki is understood to have a pre-arranged relegation release clause of around €11m in his current Hull contract, and his representatives have been instructed to sound out potential interest as Tigers officials look to raise some funds following last season’s relegation.

The 29-year-old cost £7m when he moved to Hull from Rennes in January, but bolstered his reputation with a series of impressive performances in the second half of last season.

He was widely regarded as Hull’s best player in the final four months of the campaign, and while his performances were insufficient to keep the Humberside club in the top-flight, they alerted a number of clubs to his talents.

Crystal Palace, West Brom and Watford have also signalled an interest in triggering his release clause, and his future should become clearer in the next couple of days.

Tom Cairney’s immediate future lies at Craven Cottage after he signed a one-year contract extension that commits him to Fulham until 2021.

Newcastle tried to sign the midfielder in January, only to pull out of a potential deal when Fulham quoted a price tag of more than £20m, however Benitez had been keen to re-enter discussions this summer.

Cairney scored 13 league goals as he was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year last season, but Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic was always keen to keep hold of him and his improved contract effectively rules out any prospect of him moving during the current transfer window.

“This extension of Tom’s contract speaks to our respect for him as our captain, our belief in Tom’s ability to help lead us to the Premier League, and our commitment to field a first team that Fulham supporters everywhere will be proud of,” said Fulham chairman Tony Khan.

Benitez has also been linked with a possible loan move for England international Joe Hart, having admitted defeat in his pursuit of Pepe Reina, who is set to remain with Napoli, and Willy Caballero, who joined Chelsea.

Hart’s experience at both club and international level makes him an attractive proposition, but at this stage Manchester City are looking to sell him permanently rather than loan him out for a second season in a row.

Newcastle’s interest in a new goalkeeper reflects their desire to sell Tim Krul, even though the Dutchman returned to pre-season yesterday.
Benitez is looking to sell a number of his fringe players this summer, with Emmanuel Riviere and Henri Saivet also on the ‘unwanted’ list even though they were back at the training ground.

Dwight Gayle does have a future on Tyneside, and the striker admits there was a shared sense of excitement as Newcastle’s players regrouped for the first time since winning promotion.

“It’s been a long break for a lot of the boys, but we’re all excited to be back,” said Gayle. “I want to get my fitness back and stay fit, and I’m sure the rest of the boys feel the same.

“It’s about getting the minutes in, and showing the manager enough to make sure we’re in his thoughts for when the season starts.

“Last season was hectic and there were loads of games, so the break was needed. It’s good to get a rest in, but now we’re firing and ready to go. We got programmes from the physios and personal trainers, so everyone was doing stuff over the summer to keep on top of things. When we come back, we’re not miles behind it.

“The season last year was all about getting to the Premier League, and the fact that we’ve got here is so exciting. It just shows what hard work does, if you put it in. I’m sure we’re going to work doubly as hard to prove ourselves this year.”