NEWCASTLE United are prepared to play hardball in their pursuit of PSV Eindhoven defender Erik Pieters, but a deal for Sochaux striker Modibo Maiga looks increasingly unlikely after the French club formally reported the Magpies to FIFA for breaking transfer rules.

Despite selling their only senior left-back, Jose Enrique, to Liverpool before the start of the season, Newcastle will enter the final week of the transfer window still searching for a replacement for the Spaniard.

Alan Pardew has identified Pieters as his preferred option, and the Newcastle boss travelled to Den Haag to watch the Holland international in action at the weekend.

However, a succession of talks have produced a stalemate, with the Magpies hierarchy refusing to raise their £5m valuation to meet PSV's asking price of around £7m.

Pardew admits the two parties are currently locked in a game of brinkmanship, but remains confident the current impasse will be resolved before the transfer window closes next Wednesday.

"I think there is a little of brinkmanship going on and I think that's understandable," said the Magpies manager, who has already been priced out of a move for Lyon's Aly Cissokho.

"If clubs are resigned to losing a player they want the best possible price so when a transfer becomes close, suddenly a lot of other clubs and the press seem to know about it. And all sorts of accusations fly around.

"But when you cut through it there will be a deal made, and we're hoping to do the two deals we need. I think the board know where I am. I want two positions filled before the end of the window, and I think we'll do that."

One of those positions is centre-forward, but Newcastle's pursuit of a variety of strikers is proving no more fruitful than their prolonged courtship of Pieters.

The Maiga situation appears to have broken down irretrievably, with Sochaux making a formal complaint accusing Newcastle officials of an illegal approach to the Mali international.

A statement on Sochaux's official website said: "On Monday August 22, 2011, FC Sochaux-Montbeliard sent a referral to FIFA with the aim of obtaining (assurances) on the part of Newcastle United that they will stop their contacts with Modibo Maiga, who is under contract with FCSM until 2014.

"This (contact) is in violation of Article 18 of the current international regulations. This measure comes after Sochaux demanded without success, in an official manner and on two occasions, that the English club put a stop to their actions."

If FIFA find the Magpies guilty of an illegal approach, and deem the offence to be serious enough, they could impose sanctions ranging from a fine to a worldwide transfer embargo.

"I can't tell you anything about that," said Pardew yesterday. "My brief is to highlight players that I think would take the club forward, and the club's job is to get it over the line. So I'm not involved in that side of things."

With an agreement over Maiga now extremely unlikely, Newcastle could turn their attention back to another of their long-term targets, Paris St Germain striker Mevlut Erdinc.

Erdinc is close to joining Rennes as PSG continue to add to their own attacking ranks, and Magpies officials have asked to be kept up to date with developments.

However, having refused to meet PSG's demands on a number of occasions at the start of the month, it is hard to imagine either Mike Ashley or Derek Llambias caving in now.

Whatever happens, Newcastle will travel to Scunthorpe tomorrow without a new addition to the ranks, indeed they could even be a striker down if Nile Ranger completes his proposed move to Birmingham City in the next 24 hours.

There will also be no Joey Barton at Glanford Park, as the midfielder is suffering from a minor foot problem that should have cleared up by the time Fulham travel to Tyneside for Sunday's league game.

Barton was back in the news yesterday, with former Newcastle skipper Kevin Nolan imploring him to move to Upton Park, but having witnessed the 28-year-old's commitment in the opening two games of the season, Pardew is not concerned at the prospect of him moving on.

"It doesn't bother me in any shape or form," he said. "Kevin's a friend of Joey's and I can see why he would want him to play for West Ham. I don't see anything more than that.

"It doesn't worry me one way or another - Joey will do what Joey wants to do. His commitment to this club at the weekend was there for everyone to see."

Newcastle and Arsenal have both been fined £30,000 after an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing found them guilty of failing to control their players during the opening game of the season.

Newcastle officials have requested a written response from the chairman of the regulatory commission and will consider their position once it has been received.