Newcastle hoping to sign Mason Holgate and Lewis Gibson

However, the Magpies are primed for interest in a number of their own players, with West Ham United set to make a £5m offer for Javier Manquillo.

While Steve Bruce has attempted to dampen down expectations ahead of the reopening of the transfer window at the start of next month, the Newcastle boss has held a number of discussions with the rest of his recruitment team and is keen to bring in two or three players if possible.

He has been scouting players in a variety of different positions, but is understood to have spent a large amount of time monitoring Holgate’s progress this season.

The 23-year-old, who is rated at around £14m, has successfully established himself in Everton’s first-team squad in the first four months of the current campaign, having spent the second half of last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion.

His versatility is seen as one of his major assets, as he is equally at home playing at centre-half or right-back. He even spent part of Everton’s weekend draw with Manchester United playing as a defensive midfielder because of a lack of alternative options in the position.

His age and likely valuation fit the model that has become well established at Newcastle under Mike Ashley, and Magpies officials are hoping the ongoing uncertainty at Goodison Park, with Duncan Ferguson overseeing first-team affairs in a caretaker capacity, could aid their hopes of pushing through a deal.

Everton will be reluctant to lose the Doncaster-born defender as they are short of defenders themselves, but Newcastle are ready to make a formal move at the start of next month.

They are also keen to re-sign Gibson, having been unable to prevent the youngster joining Everton in a £6m move in the summer of 2017.

Everton effectively poached Gibson from Newcastle’s academy after the teenager grew disillusioned with the Magpies’ youth set-up at the time, but his two-and-half years on Everton’s books have not gone as planned.

Now 19, and a member of England’s victorious Under-17 World Cup winning team, Gibson is still to make his senior debut for the Toffees.

He has played extensively for the club’s Under-23s team, representing them in the EFL Trophy, but had hoped to have been given a first-team opportunity before now.

His current contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and while Everton are keen to tie him down to new terms, he could opt to pursue alternative options elsewhere.

As a childhood Newcastle fan, who remains close friends with Sean and Matty Longstaff, the Magpies would be well placed to lure him back to Tyneside. Steve Bruce has a displayed a willingness to give young players a chance, and Gibson could feel he is more likely to establish himself as a Premier League player with Newcastle than Everton.

Newcastle have contractual issues of their own to address, with nine players due to become free agents or reach the end of their current loan deals next summer. Some, such as Rob Elliot, Jack Colback and Ki Sung-yueng, will leave. Others, such as Matty Longstaff and Jetro Willems, are all-but-assured to stay.

The future of two or three players hangs in the balance though, with neither Manquillo nor Federico Fernandez guaranteed to receive new contract offers despite their presence in Bruce’s preferred starting line-up.

Manquillo has started Newcastle’s last four league games, but West Ham are hoping an offer of around £5m could persuade the Magpies to sell the 25-year-old Spaniard next month.

With DeAndre Yedlin having returned to full fitness and Emil Krafth also available following his £5m summer signing from Amiens, Newcastle are not short of options at right-back. Bruce will be reluctant to lose Manquillo, but could opt to cash in if it increases his room for manoeuvre in other areas.

Newcastle return to action at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, and at this stage, it looks unlikely that any of the players who missed Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Burnley will be fit to return against the Eagles.

Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin are both nursing knocks, and Bruce was forced to shuffle his attacking pack in the duo’s absence at Turf Moor, restoring Andy Carroll and Christian Atsu to the starting line-up and moving Joelinton to the left-hand side.

The reshuffle did not really work, but Atsu remains convinced there is sufficient attacking quality within the Newcastle squad to deal with any prolonged absences.

“We have attacking players that can play in different positions and that is good for us,” said the Ghanaian winger. “We have had a lot of injuries, but when you have players that can play in a different positions, especially up front, it makes it easier to cope if other players are missing. I think we have this kind of players. We can all do different jobs, and that is very good for us.”

Newcastle were criticised for playing too many long balls towards Carroll at the weekend, but Atsu feels he and his team-mates were right to try to play to their stand-in skipper’s strengths.

“He (Carroll) is very good in the air, and he keeps the ball well for us,” he said. “He is a very important player, and he wins a lot of balls for us. He is a good player to be up there playing with.”

Similarly, Atsu remains convinced that Joelinton can be a success in a wide position, having filled the role for the majority of his time with German side Hoffenheim.

“I believe when he (Joelinton) was in Germany, he was playing in that position,” he said. “I definitely think he can play there. He can play as a seven, a nine or an 11. Whatever position he plays in, I think he is going to do well for us. He is getting used to the Premier League.”

* Newcastle's Under-23s suffered a heavy defeat yesterday lunch-time as they were beaten 4-0 by West Ham United.

Jamie Sterry was the only member of a youthful Magpies side with first-team experience, and they fell behind early on when Anthony Scully headed home.

Roasiare Longelo missed Newcastle's best chance, before West Ham added further goals through a Nathan Holland brace and a further strike from Alfie Lewis.