NEWCASTLE UNITED are confident of signing Hamza Choudhury before the transfer window closes this evening – but the Magpies face a deadline-day battle with Marseille as they also look to land Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham.

With DeAndre Yedlin having travelled to Turkey yesterday to complete a permanent move to Galatasaray and Matt Ritchie in discussions about a possible return to Bournemouth, it promises to be a busy deadline day on Tyneside.

Ideally, Steve Bruce would like to make at least two additions ahead of tonight’s 11pm deadline, with talks over Choudhury, Ntcham and Arsenal’s Joe Willock having taken place over the weekend.

Choudhury is understood to be keen on a loan move to Newcastle, and Magpies officials are confident the financial aspects of the deal will not cause any problems.

However, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers will only allow Choudhury to leave the King Power Stadium if he can make a midfield signing of his own to replace the injured Dennis Praet, with Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Watford’s Nathaniel Chalobah both on his wanted list.

“We have a gap there, so the club will work hard at looking to get someone in,” said Rodgers yesterday. “Our idea is to get a midfield player. If we can do that, then great.”

Newcastle officials held weekend talks with the Celtic hierarchy over Ntcham, with the Frenchman pushing to be allowed to leave Parkhead after a proposed deadline-day move to Ligue 1 side Brest broke down in October.

Ntcham has made seven league starts for Celtic this season, but has been unavailable after having to self-isolated in the wake of the Scottish club’s training camp in Dubai earlier this month.

Newcastle want to sign him on loan, but Celtic are understood to be pushing for a clause that would compel the Magpies to buy Ntcham in the summer if a series of conditions were met. Marseille have also held talks over the 24-year-old, who has 18 months of his remaining contract in Glasgow to run.

Senior Magpies officials have spoken to the Arsenal hierarchy about Willock, whose first-team prospects have been adversely affected by the Gunners’ signing of Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid. Willock is keen to leave the Emirates in the second half of the season.

Newcastle’s ability to bring in players will dictate what they do in terms of outgoings. Yedlin has been deemed surplus to requirements, and flew to Turkey yesterday to finalise a move to Galatasaray, while Ritchie is set for a return to Bournemouth if the Cherries can agree the financial terms of a deal.