New striker on Pardew´s mind

Alan Pardew said Newcastle are working had in the transfer market to fill the void in attack left by Andy Carroll’s departure.

England international Carroll was sold to Liverpool for 35 million pounds in January, and with last season’s top scorer Kevin Nolan also departing, the Magpies are desperate to bring in a proven goalscorer.

And Pardew assured fans the club had plenty of irons in the fire and was close to bringing in a new signing.

“I don’t really want to mention names, but all strikers who are available, we are keeping a close eye on,” he said.

“It’s important that we keep bolstering the team as best we can.

“We have obviously been looking for a striker – we are still bidding for a striker as we speak – so we are doing all we can to get the right players for Newcastle.”

“It’s not easy, it’s not an easy market – strikers are always the most difficult to get across the line – but we are working hard on it.”

Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba, Sylvain Marveaux and Mehdi Abeid have already joined the club during the off-season

But Pardew said their would be no more transfer activity until a top striker ws signed.

“It depends, really, on the attacker that we hope to secure,” Pardew said.

“There has been talk of the money we have got in and where has it been spent. But you would be surprised with the deals we have done, it actually amounts to a fair bit.”

“We have got enough to bring a striker in of the right ilk for this football club, and that’s what we need to focus on. When we secure that player, then we will look again.”

Pardew also denied the club had given unsettled fullback Jose Enrique a deadline to sign a new contract, and insisted the Spaniard was still a required player at St James’ Park.

“No not a deadline as such. We have made him an offer which is one of the best offers we have ever made a player and he doesn’t want to sign as yet,” Pardew said.

“It gives us a problem. He is a valuable player to us and to the club. We want to keep him and we hope he signs a new contract.”