RAFAEL BENITEZ will have to forget about landing players involved in the Premier League survival fight this month – meaning a move for England’s Joe Hart is off the cards.

Hart has been discussed as a potential target inside the Magpies’ Benton training complex over the last couple of weeks, having failed to bring in the goalkeeper the manager wanted during the summer.

Benitez is also scouring the loan market while he continues to wait to hear how much he has to spend – if any - from the club’s owner Mike Ashley, who is attempting to sell up at a price he is satisfied with.

That is why Hart, currently half way through a season long loan at West Ham United, has been among the goalkeepers considered along with Paris St Germain’s Kevin Trapp rather than any expensive options.

But Benitez is finding there are also complications in the loan market. He believes there is a determination across the bottom half of the Premier League not to do business with a rival in the battle to beat the drop this month.

When asked specifically about Hart, Benitez said: “No, we are not talking about names, but it is very difficult for a team in their position to do a deal with us.”

Even though Hart is still a Manchester City player, the top-flight leaders would be happy to allow the England No 1 to change clubs if it was in the best interests of all parties.

Despite keeping a clean sheet in the FA Cup tie at Shrewsbury on Sunday, he has lost his place at the Hammers under David Moyes and knows he needs to be playing regularly or runs the risk of losing his international spot ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

But West Ham are reluctant to let him join another team in touch with the bottom three and he is also fantastic competition – albeit expensive – for Adrian. The London club are also believed to have paid his wages for the year up front.

Newcastle – who have also discussed Hart’s team-mate Diafra Sakho along with Everton - feel the same way because West Ham try to lure Jonjo Shelvey to the capital.

Benitez is willing to consider offers for players if he feels it benefits the bid to stay in the Premier League, and if he hears he will be able to invest money raised back into the squad.

As things stand he can’t afford to lose key men as he looks to add to his squad, which is why he continues to press managing director Lee Charnley to get the go-ahead to spend from Ashley.

Moyes has identified Shelvey as a midfielder he would like to boost West Ham’s signs of revival under him, although every club at the bottom end of the Premier League is hearing the message it will be hard to do deals with those clubs around him.

That was the message when he discussed Sakho. The 28-year-old was the latest striker to have been targeted over the weekend, only for West Ham to reject the proposal even though he is not even second choice striker under Moyes.

Newcastle have already asked about the availability of Troy Deeney, Danny Ings, Daniel Sturridge and Islam Slimani.

Benitez wants to add at least three players to his ranks before the end of the month and that number does not include a goalkeeper.

As well as admiring Hart and Trapp, who played for Paris St Germain on Sunday, he is also keen on Real Madrid shot-stopper Kiko Casilla.

He signed Casilla during his time in charge at the Bernabeu and he has been offered the chance to sign him again on Tyneside. Newcastle will have to move quickly, though, because he has also been identified as a replacement for Getafe’s Vicente Guaita should he move to Crystal Palace.