NEWCASTLE UNITED will keep their options open with Dwight Gayle to the final minutes of the transfer window, and remain willing to sell the striker provided they can secure an attacking replacement.

Fulham tabled a £15m offer for Gayle yesterday morning, with the Newcastle hierarchy effectively placing the bid on hold as they looked at potential acquisitions of their own.

Kenedy is set to complete a season-long loan from Chelsea ahead of this evening’s 11pm deadline, but Rafael Benitez does not want to lose Gayle without another attacking player coming in to St James’ Park to replace him.

His options in the final third are already limited, and to make matters worse, the Magpies will be without Aleksandar Mitrovic for the next three games after the Serbian accepted an FA charge of misconduct.

Newcastle have made a number of inquiries about Liverpool striker Divock Origi, but the Belgian international is expected to join German club Wolfsburg on loan rather than remain in the Premier League.

The Magpies have also held a number of discussions with Sampdoria about Dennis Praet, but have concluded it will be impossible to pull off a deal before the transfer window closes.

Newcastle are still believed to have a couple of viable targets they will pursue this morning, but with Mike Ashley having refused to pay what he regarded as inflated fees earlier in the window, there is little chance of the Magpies owner suddenly digging deep to fund a last-minute scramble for signings.

That should mean Gayle remains on Tyneside, although Ashley has a track record for selling players on deadline day without being able to source a replacement. In 2011, Andy Carroll was given the green light to join Liverpool even though the Newcastle hierarchy knew they would struggle to bring in a striker of their own.

Benitez will hardly be happy if history repeats itself later today, although his relationship with Gayle has deteriorated rapidly in the last few weeks, leading to the striker’s omission from the squad for last weekend’s 3-0 win over West Ham.

Gayle missed a number of games in the second half of last season complaining of a hamstring injury, even though Benitez admitted Newcastle’s medical staff were struggling to identify a problem.

The former Crystal Palace forward scored 23 Championship goals last season, but failed to score in either of his opening two appearances in the current campaign and was hauled off shortly after half-time in the 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield Town.

Leeds United have been linked with a possible move for the 26-year-old, but Fulham appear to be firmly at the front of the queue of his suitors, having lodged their formal offer yesterday morning.

While Gayle’s future remains somewhat uncertain, Newcastle completed the sale of one player yesterday, with at least another two set to depart before the window closes.

Grant Hanley signed a four-year deal at Norwich City to complete a £3.5m move from Tyneside, with Jack Colback and Achraf Lazaar set to follow him through the exit door.

Hanley made a total of 17 senior appearances during his 13 months at St James’, with his only goal coming in last season’s emphatic away win at QPR.

The Scotland international joined Newcastle in a £5.5m move from Blackburn Rovers last summer, but struggled to make any kind of impression in a black-and-white shirt. His final Magpies appearance came in last week’s Carabao Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Colback is also set to leave today, having spent yesterday in talks with Wolves about a season-long loan. The midfielder has been deemed surplus to requirements under Benitez, but his £70,000-a-week wages meant a number of Championship clubs were forced to shelve their interest in his services at an early stage.

Wolves remain keen to do a deal though, and are understood to be prepared to pay the vast majority of Colback’s wages for the next nine months.

Lazaar should also complete his departure from Newcastle later today, having travelled to Italy to talk terms with Benevento.

Lazaar is set to agree a season-long loan with the Serie A side, with a clause for a permanent €3.5m transfer next summer.

Meanwhile, Mitrovic has admitted an FA charge of violent conduct and will be banned for Newcastle’s next three games.

The Serbia international was involved in an elbowing incident with West Ham forward Manuel Lanzini during the closing stages of last weekend’s game, and while the clash was not spotted by the match officials at the time, it was subsequently identified via video review.

Mitrovic has opted not to appeal against the FA’s decision, and will miss Newcastle’s league games with Swansea, Stoke and Brighton. He will be available to return in the home game with Liverpool on October 1.