NEWCASTLE UNITED have slapped an £18m price-tag on last season’s top scorer Dwight Gayle, with Rafael Benitez lining up Liverpool’s Divock Origi as the man to replace him.

With the hours counting down to Thursday’s transfer deadline, Benitez is finally getting somewhere in terms of moving players out to free up more room on the wage bill.

The Northern Echo:

After offloading Emmanuel Riviere and Siem de Jong to Metz and Ajax respectively, the Magpies have now agreed a fee with Norwich City for unwanted defender Grant Hanley.

If Hanley departs then that will mean around £100,000-a-week has been freed up and should boost Benitez’s own attempts to bring in more new faces before Thursday’s deadline.

And a new striker is the priority, after months of testing the water in a number of directions and a failure to get a deal over the line. Many names are still in the mix like Arsenal’s Lucas Perez, but Liverpool’s Belgian Origi has emerged as a realistic target.

The problem facing Newcastle is that the 22-year-old is a wanted man across Europe. Playing for Newcastle under Benitez is likely to appeal, although there are some big clubs chasing his signature.

Liverpool have told Newcastle they will only consider a loan deal if he is guaranteed plenty of playing time, believing a bit part bench role would not be beneficial to his development away from Anfield.

Origi’s name has already come up in conversations with Monaco over a deal for Thomas Lemar, while Inter Milan, Juventus, Werder Bremen and Marseille are among those keen.

Crystal Palace are just one of the other Premier League clubs who would offer staying in English football, but Benitez feels Origi has the power and pace to be a real nuisance for his side.

Having become frustrated with Gayle in recent weeks, Newcastle only have Joselu and Aleksandar Mitrovic to call on to lead the line. Mitrovic, who has interest in him, has suddenly worked his way ahead of Gayle in the pecking order.

Now Benitez is open to the idea of selling Gayle before the window closes, with plenty of Championship clubs looking for a striker. The question is whether or not any will be able to offer the £18m fee which Newcastle are demanding.

As the end of the window nears that figure could fall slightly, but Benitez believes it is not an unrealistic figure in today’s market for a player who struck 23 goals to help secure the Championship title last season.

The Newcastle manager knows he needs new players in before the window shuts after a frustrating summer when they have failed to get deals over the line.

He had expected more money to be available for deals, while owner Mike Ashley has wanted to see more player departures before sanction further incoming transfers.

Benitez is sure to get a face or two in before the window closes but the quality of those arrivals is likely to determine what mood he is in come Friday morning.

A new striker to compete with Mitrovic – who has been told he is needed on Tyneside now – is the main aim, while he is looking at other areas to strengthen too.

Chelsea winger Kenedy is still expected to arrive on a season-long loan and it is hoped Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will move to Stamford Bridge from Arsenal to seal the deal.

It is also being reported regularly in Argentina that Independiente left-back Nicolas Tagliafico is close to a £3.5m move to St James’ Park. There has been no word from Newcastle on that.

Managing director Lee Charnley is still hoping to move more players on too. Achraf Lazaar is interesting Italian clubs, while Tim Krul is wanted at PSV Eindhoven amid suggestions that Jeroen Zoet could be sold, with Newcastle and West Ham linked.

Hanley is on the verge of leaving, though. He is on duty with Scotland this week but Newcastle have agreed a deal with Norwich and personal terms just need to be discussed.

The former Blackburn man moved from Ewood Park for £5.5m last summer but has struggled to become a regular under Benitez.