NEWCASTLE UNITED continue to meet strong resistance as they look to recruit a wide attacker from within the Premier League, with potential moves for Jack Harrison, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes all on hold because of other clubs’ reluctance to do business with the Magpies.

Eddie Howe has taken his players to Portugal for a pre-season training camp, with two different Newcastle XIs having lined up in a pair of behind-closed-doors matches against two teams from Burnley on Saturday.

The Magpies boss will oversee a more formal pre-season friendly against Benfica on Tuesday, but as well as working on the training pitches, he is also trying to drive through two more transfers before the start of the new Premier League season.

He has been trying to sign a wide forward all summer, but moves for Harrison, Gordon and Barnes continue to stall with Newcastle’s recruitment team refusing to pay over the odds for their targets.

There have been a number of discussions with the Leeds hierarchy over Harrison, but having already lost Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha this summer, Jesse Marsch is adamant he does not want to have to replace another of his key performers. As a result, the Leeds board continue to insist they will not be lowering their £35m asking price for the 25-year-old, a figure Newcastle regard as much too high.

It is a similar story with regard to Gordon, with Everton boss Frank Lampard determined to do all he can to hold on to his side’s most exciting young attacking talent, following the departure of Richarlison to Tottenham.

Lampard has urged his club’s owners not to sell Gordon, and while Newcastle officials have flagged up their interest in the 21-year-old, Everton’s stance is that the attacking midfielder is not for sale. Indeed, sources on Merseyside claim Everton have initiated talks over a new deal that would increase Gordon’s earnings at Goodison Park and tie him to the Toffees for the long term.

Barnes is another player who was interesting Newcastle’s recruitment team long before the transfer window reopened, but like Leeds with Harrison and Everton with Gordon, Leicester do not want to lose the England international.

Newcastle are hoping to strike a deal for a wide player for around £25m, but Leicester are understood to regard £50m as the minimum figure they would consider as a starting point for discussions over Barnes, who is contracted to the King Power Stadium until the summer of 2025.