NEWCASTLE’S hopes of resurrecting a deal for Saido Berahino this summer could be dashed by West Brom’s renewed determination to tie the striker to a new contract.

The Magpies made a succession of attempts to sign Berahino in last month’s transfer window, only for their final offer of £21m to be rejected on the eve of deadline day.

Newcastle’s hierarchy confirmed the “club-record bid” during a fans’ forum meeting at the start of last week, and while Berahino’s name was not specifically mentioned, they also stated that “after conversations in January, dialogue will be continued with regard to several targets with a view to them coming to Newcastle during the summer window.”

Berahino remains their number one target, but their hopes of finally prising him from the Hawthorns could be scuppered by West Brom’s ongoing attempts to repair their relationship with the 22-year-old.

Berahino issued a public statement last week in which he apologised for his conduct in the first half of the season, and specifically expressed his regret at stating that he would “refuse to play” for chairman Jeremy Peace following the collapse of a proposed summer move to Tottenham.

His rehabilitation continued at the weekend as he scored his first Premier League goal since October in a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace, and Baggies boss Tony Pulis showered him with praise in the wake of his side’s success at the Hawthorns.

“He’s back in the team, and that’s what Saido was like last year when I came – a talisman that kept us up,” said Pulis. “You can’t miss half a season in the Premier League and expect to come in and do well, but he’s got his head down and he’ll work hard.

“If you take (Jamie) Vardy out of Leicester’s team and you take (Harry) Kane out of Tottenham’s team, then it would be interesting to see how many points they had. Saido is that important to us.”

That importance is acknowledged at board level, and West Brom officials will attempt to kick-start contract negotiations in the next few weeks in an attempt to ensure there is not more speculation about Berahino’s future come the start of the summer.

The striker will enter the final year of his current deal at the end of the season, and refused to discuss a possible extension earlier in the campaign, when he was on the periphery of Pulis’ first-team plans.

He has now been successfully reintegrated into the squad, and sources in the Midlands claim West Brom are willing to offer him up to £55,000-a-week in order to sign a new deal and remain at the Hawthorns.

Despite spending more than £80m in the last two transfer windows, Newcastle are set to invest again in the summer, provided they successfully avoid relegation in the final two-and-a-half months of the current campaign.

Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette remains a key attacking target, and the Magpies could yet launch a double swoop on the Ligue 1 club as they are also interested in £10m-rated defender Samuel Umtiti.

The 22-year-old Frenchman, who can play at centre-half or left-back, was the subject of a tentative inquiry in January, and Newcastle will step up their interest in the summer as long as they remain in the top-flight.

Lorient’s Raphael Guerreiro is an alternative target at left-back, with Newcastle’s scouting team having made a number of trips to watch the 22-year-old.