NEWCASTLE UNITED will make a final decision over Cheick Tiote’s future within the next fortnight, with it now looking odds-on that the midfielder will remain on Tyneside.

Tiote’s future was the subject of considerable conjecture throughout the summer, but with approaches from Galatasaray and Olympiacos falling through at the end of August, the transfer window closed with the Ivory Coast international still on Newcastle’s books.

That wasn’t the end of the story though, with the Magpies instructing Tiote’s agents to sound out potential interest from countries in the Middle East and Asia where the international transfer window was still open.

A couple of tentative approaches came to nothing, and with the final transfer deadline in the United Arab Emirates due to expire on October 20, Rafael Benitez is ready to step up Tiote’s reintegration into Newcastle’s first-team squad within the next couple of weeks.

The 30-year-old, who is currently in the final year of his St James’ Park deal, has made one senior appearance this season, coming on as a substitute in last month’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa, and Benitez expects him to play a more prominent role in the remainder of the season provided there are no last-minute approaches from the UAE.

“I was talking with him (Tiote) on Tuesday because obviously we are still waiting,” said the Magpies manager. “The 20th is the date the transfer window closes in the Emirates.

“He is training really well, so I just told him, ‘Look, just wait a little bit, keep training hard and then we can decide’. He is a player who still has something to offer.”

Newcastle are reasonably well-stocked in the central midfield area, with Isaac Hayden having settled into life on Tyneside to provide competition and cover to Jonjo Shelvey and Jack Colback.

However, Tiote’s extensive experience and defensive-midfield nous could prove useful, particularly if Newcastle’s fixture schedule becomes even busier as a result of an extended run beyond the fourth round of the EFL Cup.

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Whereas Moussa Sissoko’s attitude become an issue in the final weeks of his stay in the North-East, Benitez has been impressed with Tiote’s response to the ongoing situation.

The midfielder has been working with the rest of the first-team squad, and his manager does not envisage a problem if he is suddenly thrust back into contention for a regular starting spot.

“I think the rest of the players appreciate that he’s a good professional and it’s a normal situation for them,” said Benitez. “They know that the market is still open, they know that it’s not easy for a player to keep training but not necessarily be involved

“But, because they can see him training, maybe they will say, ‘Hmm, he could start’. He’s not a player who is not physically at the right level.

“It is one thing to be physically fit - and he is fine - but the other thing is the match fitness, and you have to play games to get match fitness. So maybe he’s a little bit short of match fitness, but in every training session, he is fine physically. It’s one more player in the squad, and everybody is just waiting to see what happens.”

Newcastle’s squad should be swelled further by the end of the month, with Rolando Aarons having stepped up his recovery from a foot injury.

Aarons broke a metatarsal in August’s League Cup second-round win over Cheltenham, but was able to remove the protective cast from his foot at the start of the week.

He has joined in some light gym work with his team-mates, and it is hoped he will be able to begin some contact work on the pitch within the next three weeks.

That would potentially enable him to be available for either the EFL Cup game with Preston on October 25, or the league game against the same opponents four days later.