Newcastle want to sign Leicester's Hamza Choudhury on loan

Steve Bruce is involved in discussions on a couple of different fronts as he looks to tinker with his squad in the final few days of the transfer window, with talks over Choudhury having reached an advanced stage.

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has encouraged the 23-year-old to leave the King Power Stadium in the second half of the season in order to increase his chances of playing regular football, with his Premier League involvement in the first half of the campaign having been restricted to just one start and two substitute appearances.

A number of clubs have lodged an interest in the midfielder, but Newcastle officials have been working on a possible deal for most of January and an agreement is understood to be close.

“He’s (Choudhury) somebody we’ve liked, and it’s (Newcastle’s interest) been reported,” said Bruce, ahead of this lunchtime’s Premier League game at Everton. “I’m never going to speak about anybody else’s players, I think that would be wrong. But he’s somebody that we do like, yes.

“We’ve had to be patient, but we’re still hopeful things will happen. I’ve got one or two calls to make to certain managers in the next 24 hours, but I always knew it was going to be a difficult window, certainly when you’re in the loan market.

“We’re not alone. A lot of teams are financially struggling, especially in the Championship, for example. It’s been very difficult in that respect, but we’re still hopeful we can get one or two over the line. We’ll see what the next couple of days bring.”

With top-flight clubs having to submit a list of 25 players to the Premier League, Bruce was forced to leave the likes of Christian Atsu, Achraf Lazaar and Henri Saivet out of his squad at the start of the season. Clearly, if Choudhury arrives, potentially alongside another new signing, Bruce will have to create space on his squad list by allowing one or two senior players to leave.

Ritchie’s future has been the subject of sustained speculation for a number of transfer windows, but with the Scotsman having struggled for game time, this finally looks like being the month when he leaves Tyneside.

His former club, Bournemouth, are trying to put together a package that would enable them to take the 31-year-old back to the Vitality Stadium, although Newcastle officials are determined to push for the best possible deal given Ritchie is contracted to St James’ Park until the summer of 2023.

“We all understand what Matt’s situation is,” said Bruce. “He’s been a very good player, and still is a very good player for the club. He’s been here for the best part of five years.

“His frustration is that he’s not playing week in, week out, like he has done in the past. For anybody in the squad, if the right offer comes along, then we have to make space to bring someone in.

“We have to make space, so you can never say never, but certainly with Matty, he’s been here a long, long time, so it would take a hell of an offer.”

It is set to be a reasonably busy end to the window for the Magpies, although Bruce has ruled out a new move for former loanee Jetro Willems.

The left-back impressed on loan in the early stages of last season before picking up a serious knee injury that resulted in his return to his native Holland.

He has been linked with a potential return to Tyneside throughout the first half of the season, but his lack of action with Eintracht Frankfurt means Bruce has ruled out an approach.

“I think Jetro hasn’t played enough, unfortunately,” said the Newcastle boss. “The problem we’ve got, in the loan market in particular, is whether there’s someone out there who has been playing, or who has been in and around it.

“We’re trying desperately to try to bring a couple through the door if we can. I said from the outset this would easily be the quietest transfer window that we’ve all known because of the consequences of Covid on clubs financially.

“But make no mistake, if there’s somebody out there who can improve us, then I’ll knock the door down to bring him in.”