NEWCASTLE United have been offered an opportunity to sign former long-term transfer target Kevin Gameiro.

However, it looks as though the Magpies are set to miss out on one of their current targets with Montpellier defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa set to be priced out of a switch to St James' Park.

Newcastle officials spent most of last summer tracking Gameiro, who eventually left Lorient to join Paris St Germain.

At one stage, United had a £10m offer accepted for the striker, but negotiations proved tortuous and the club eventually lost patience with the Frenchman's representatives.

Gameiro also proved reluctant to move to the North-East, preferring instead to remain in France's Ligue One.

He eventually made an 11m Euros move to Paris St Germain, signing a four-year contract at the Parc Des Princes, but his opening season in the French capital has not gone to plan.

Gameiro has failed to hold down a regular place in the PSG first team, and has suffered a major fall out with the club's manager, Carlo Ancelotti.

Ancelotti is understood to have instructed Gameiro's representatives to seek out a new employer, and Newcastle officials have been alerted to the 25-year-old's likely availability.

Malaga, who recently secured qualification for the Champions League after finishing fourth in La Liga, have been credited with an interest in the France international, but Newcastle's previous attempts to sign him have not been forgotten.

As things stand, Magpies manager Alan Pardew is unlikely to be in the market for a new centre-forward, having shelled out £9m in January to sign Papiss Cisse.

But that will change if Demba Ba leaves Tyneside this summer, a scenario that cannot be ruled out given the presence of a £7m buy-out clause in the Senegal striker's contract.

Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias is reluctant to renegotiate the terms of Ba's deal just 12 months after signing him as he feels that would set a dangerous precedent for future players who have an impressive season.

However, with Ba free to talk to anyone willing to trigger his buy-out clause, Pardew is having to prepare a back-up plan in case the former West Ham striker opts to leave Tyneside.

Holland international Luuk de Jong is at the top of his list, but having pushed for Gameiro's arrival 12 months ago, he must now weigh up the pros and cons of making another approach this summer.

Pardew's main summer priority is to sign a new centre-half, but he is ready to switch his attention away from Yanga-Mbiwa despite Newcastle's scouting staff having watched the Frenchman extensively last season.

The 23-year-old will leave Montpellier after the club's chairman pledged not to stand in his way if he wanted to leave, but with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United also having expressed an interest, a bidding war looks likely.

Both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have also been linked with the centre-half, who was named in France's provisional squad for Euro 2012, and Newcastle have accepted it will be extremely difficult to engineer a deal within their price range. As a result, Pardew is set to look elsewhere.

* Newcastle will take a reserve XI to Gateshead for a pre-season friendly on Wednesday, August 1 (ko 7.30pm).