NEWCASTLE will make Schalke centre-half Joel Matip their leading defensive target this summer after accepting they will struggle to pull off a deal for Monaco’s Aymen Abdennour.

Having completed the capture of Georginio Wijnaldum, and tabled what they consider to be their final offer for striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, Newcastle’s recruitment team have turned their attention to the back four.

With Mike Williamson expected to leave Tyneside this summer, and doubts over the future of Fabricio Coloccini as Steve McClaren ponders whether to strip the Argentinian of the captain’s armband, the Magpies are determined to sign a proven centre-half this summer.

Abdennour, a 25-year-old Tunisia international who is widely regarded as one of the leading defensive performers in France’s Ligue 1, was Newcastle’s preferred target at the start of the summer, with the club’s scouting team having paid close attention to his performances last season.

However, the last couple of weeks have seen a host of clubs express an interest in Abdennour’s services, and while the Magpies were confident of being able to compete with Liverpool and West Ham, the two English clubs to have been in contact with Monaco, additional moves from AC Milan and Paris St Germain have persuaded the St James’ Park hierarchy that they could struggle to complete a deal.

Reports in France claim AC Milan have already had a €19m (£13.5m) bid turned down by Monaco officials, and Newcastle would be unwilling to go any higher in order to sign the African.

As a result, they are set to step up their pursuit of Matip, a 23-year-old Cameroon international who has been in their sights for a number of seasons.

Newcastle were first linked with Matip when he signed a new deal with Schalke in 2012, and with that deal due to expire next summer, there is an expectation that his German employers will be willing to do business in the current transfer window rather than risk losing the defender for nothing in 12 months time.

Matip missed a large chunk of last season after suffering a serious injury that required the insertion of a metal plate into his foot, but he has returned to pre-season training without any problems and Newcastle officials are set to make formal contact with their counterparts at Schalke to discuss a possible move.

“Because of my foot injury, last season was a pretty bad one for me,” said Matip, in a recent interview with the German media. “Now, I just hope that I can finally put it behind me.”

New Schalke boss Andre Breitenreiter held talks with Matip last week to discuss his future, and while the head coach would like to retain the defender, financial realities mean a final decision could well be taken out of his hands.

Newcastle are continuing to wait for a response from Mitrovic, who appears to be stalling in the hope of securing a move to Portuguese side Porto, who can offer Champions League football next season.

Anderlecht have effectively accepted Newcastle’s bid of around £12m for Mitrovic, and left the Serb striker out of their opening pre-season friendly at the weekend in anticipation of him completing a move to Newcastle.

However, the 20-year-old is still to make formal contact with Newcastle officials despite his agent, Pini Zahavi, and brother travelling to Tyneside last week.

Porto have outlined their interest in the forward, but are not thought to be in a position to match either Newcastle’s offer to Anderlecht or the Magpies’ proposed wage package.

The Magpies’ pursuit of Mitrovic will become even more important if their main alternative, Charlie Austin, joins West Ham. The Hammers are understood to have held discussions with QPR yesterday about a proposal that could see former Newcastle skipper Kevin Nolan and winger Matt Jarvis included in a deal for Austin.

Meanwhile, Karl Darlow is determined to dislodge Tim Krul as Newcastle’s first-choice goalkeeper following his return from a loan spell at Nottingham Forest.

Along with centre-half Jamaal Lascelles, Darlow signed for the Magpies last summer, only to be immediately loaned back to Forest for the whole of last season.

The pair started pre-season training with Newcastle at the start of the month, and travelled to the United States for a three-game tour that kicked off in the early hours of this morning with a game against Club Atlas.

Darlow accepts it will difficult to wrest a starting spot from Krul, but insists he has not moved to Tyneside to play second fiddle to the Dutchman.

“I’m pretty much here to compete with Tim,” said Darlow. “Competition for places is obviously healthy. For me, I want to play, so I’m going to be pushing myself to see the best I can do and obviously Tim will want to keep the number one jersey, which I’m here to push for. Hopefully, it will spur him on and improve him and it will do the same for me.”

Darlow is happy to have spent last season at the City Ground, but feels it is now time to take his career to a higher level.

“It’s a clean slate and a fresh start for me,” he said. “It was a good experience going back to Forest, I got game time and hopefully it's helped my goalkeeping progress. But now I’m playing at Premier League level and I’m looking forward to it.”