NEWCASTLE UNITED remain confident of tying up a deal for Chelsea talent Tammy Abraham in a move that will likely lead to Aleksandar Mitrovic leaving.

Turkish reports have suggested a delegation from Besiktas is bound for Tyneside in a bid to secure an agreement for Mitrovic.

The powerful Serbian is available this summer and is on a number of clubs’ radar.

However, Besiktas are keen and are heading for St James’ Park in the hope of pulling off the signing.

Mitrovic cost £14m when he arrived two years ago from Anderlecht and Newcastle will not be looking to let him go on the cheap.

A season-long loan with a view to a permanent deal could be on the cards but only if there is a sizeable loan fee first. Rafael Benitez would prefer to rake in a hefty transfer fee rather than a loan.

Benitez, the Newcastle boss, wants to mix up his attacking options before the start of pre-season and is still hopeful Abraham will be heading to the North-East.

A season-long loan between the clubs is not guaranteed at this stage, although there is understood to be an agreement in place and it should happen soon.

There were doubts whether Abraham wanted to play for Newcastle, meaning uprooting to Tyneside rather than stay nearer to his Surrey home by signing for Brighton instead.

However, sources close to the teenage striker, a success story with Bristol City last season, are indicating he is willing to head to St James' Park. The 19-year-old would be a like-for-like replacement for Mitrovic. Benitez would still like to add another striker to his options too.

Defensively he hopes to have Eibar’s Florian Lejeune on board soon, although another centre-back target, Ruben Semedo, has his heart seemingly set on a switch to Spain.

The Sporting Lisbon defender, also linked with Villarreal, has been the subject of a bid from Newcastle in the last couple of weeks but his agent Catio Balde is not confident the deal will happen.

Balde said: “We are on the verge of confirming the transfer of Ruben Semedo. It’s probably Spain. I confirm Spain.

“We are looking forward to closing the deal today. We are working, and yesterday was intense. We are absolutely certain that there will probably be a conclusion today. Ruben was faced with several possibilities.

“It was in Spain that we found the best solution. Until this moment I cannot confirm conclusively. He’s in a good way.”

Newcastle will travel for a pre-season friendly to Bradford on Wednesday, July 26 (7.30pm). The Magpies have also revealed they will have a home friendly at St James's Park on the first weekend of August as well as more games in the UK and Europe.