NEWCASTLE UNITED will offer Andy Carroll a pay-as-you-play deal on Tyneside if their former striker can prove he has completed his recovery from ankle surgery.

Steve Bruce is targeting at least five additions before the transfer window closes, with the most expensive, Brazilian forward Joelinton, expected to be completed in the next 48 hours.

Newcastle officials have agreed an initial fee of around £35m with Hoffenheim – the deal is understood to include clauses that could see the final price rise as high as £42m – with the 22-year-old set to replace Miguel Almiron as the Magpies’ record signing.

Speaking on Saturday, Hoffenheim director of football, Alexander Rosen, admitted Joelinton’s departure was in the “home stretch”, and the striker is expected to travel to Tyneside at the start of the week to undergo a medical.

His arrival will be a massive relief to Bruce, with Newcastle’s new head coach having inherited a squad that is extremely light on attacking options following the departure of Salomon Rondon, who has teamed back up with Rafael Benitez in China, and Ayoze Perez, who has moved to Leicester City for £30m.

However, Bruce wants to sign at least two strikers this summer, with Carroll regarded as a potentially viable option if he can prove his fitness is up to scratch.

Carroll has been linked with a return to Tyneside on a number of occasions since leaving in a controversial £35m deadline-day switch to Liverpool in January 2011, but while most of the previous speculation has been fanciful at best, there is genuine substance to the latest interest.

The 30-year-old is a free agent after West Ham failed to take up the option of extending his contract, but has not played since the end of February after undergoing a complicated procedure to try to solve a long-standing ankle problem.

It remains to be seen whether the surgery has been a success as Carroll remains at least a couple of weeks away from being able to step up his recovery. Realistically, he is probably a month away from being in a position where he could take part in a full training position, but while that would take him beyond the end of the transfer window, he could still join Newcastle at a later date as he is not currently contracted to a club.

Mike Ashley has generally refused to sign players in their 30s – hence his refusal to sanction a big-money move for Rondon – but Carroll’s situation is markedly different as he would only be offered a pay-as-you-play deal.

The Gateshead-born forward is likely to receive more lucrative offers from clubs on the continent, but the appeal of trying to resurrect his career at his hometown team would be considerable and he has spoken of his desire to re-join Newcastle in the past.

Bruce will maintain a dialogue with Carroll and his representatives, but once Joelinton’s arrival is confirmed, his more immediate priority will be to recruit a winger, a central midfielder and a full-back.

Another former Newcastle player is a target for the full-back berth, with Rangers skipper James Tavernier firmly in the Magpies’ sights.

Tavernier started his career in Newcastle’s academy, and had a brief spell at Wigan before moving to Ibrox in 2015. He has developed into one of Rangers’ most influential players, scoring 17 goals and providing 20 assists in all competitions last season.

Steven Gerrard would be extremely reluctant to lose the 27-year-old, but the Rangers board would find it hard to reject any offer that approached the £10m mark.

Newcastle have also made an inquiry about Burnley winger Dwight McNeil, who caught the eye as he burst on to the Premier League scene in the second half of last season.

McNeil would provide some of the pace and creativity that Newcastle’s midfield currently lacks, but while the Magpies value the 19-year-old at around £15m, Burnley, mindful of United’s valuation of Sean Longstaff, would demand almost double that price.

Newcastle continued their pre-season preparations on Saturday as they wrapped up their Premier League Asia Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over West Ham United.

With Bruce watching on from the stands because he had been unable to secure a working visa from the Chinese authorities, Ben Dawson once again took charge in the dug-out.

Having played with a flat back four in their defeat to Wolves, Newcastle reverted to the 3-4-2-1 they used for the majority of last season and were immediately much more secure as a result.

They claimed the only goal of the game shortly after the half-hour mark, with Yoshinori Muto converting Jamie Sterry’s cross.

Felipe Anderson grazed the crossbar as West Ham threatened a recovery in the second half, while Sean Longstaff had what had initially looked to be a second Newcastle goal chalked off for offside.

Newcastle: Dubravka; Schar, Lascelles, Clark (Fernandez 46); Sterry (Manquillo 46), Colback (Lazaar 78), Hayden (Ki 46), Ritchie (S Longstaff 64); Shelvey (M Longstaff 78), Muto (Aarons 78); Sorensen (Murphy 46).