NEWCASTLE UNITED have investigated the possibility of a deadline-day deal for Oostende’s Jack Hendry, with Steve Bruce still hoping to add a central defender to his squad despite having to work within restrictive financial parameters.

With Joe Willock having arrived from Arsenal earlier this month in a £22m deal, Bruce’s transfer kitty is effectively spent despite the departure of Florian Lejeune, Christian Atsu, Achraf Lazaar, Henri Saivet, Yoshinori Muto and Andy Carroll having slashed around £200,000-a-week from the wage bill since the end of last season.

Bruce will also have to create space in his 25-man squad list if he is to bring in another player ahead of today’s 11pm deadline, but he has not given up hope of recruiting a defender, having spent most of the last 12 months pursuing central-defensive targets.

Proposed deals for Rob Holding and Kristoffer Ajer have both fallen through, leading Newcastle’s recruitment team to hone in on Hendry.

The 26-year-old Scotland international joined Oostende on loan from Celtic last season, and impressed with a series of solid displays in the Belgian top-flight.

His performances resulted in him making a £1.8m permanent move to Oostende earlier this summer, with his Belgian employers triggering a clause in the loan deal that had been agreed with Celtic, but reports on the continent claim Oostende officials are willing to listen to offers for his services if they would enable them to turn an immediate profit.

A number of Premier League clubs have inquired about an asking price, and while it has been suggested Oostende are demanding €8m, it is understood the would be willing to do business for around half that price.

Whether that is a feasible option for Newcastle remains to be seen. Bruce has previously indicated that another permanent deal in this transfer window would be impossible, however he has also conceded that the Magpies have already broken their own self-imposed transfer rules once to land Willock.

Ozan Kabak, a long-term Newcastle transfer target, yesterday agreed to join Norwich City on a season-long deal from German side Schalke.

As well as assessing defensive options, Bruce has also been looking at defensive midfielders. A loan move for Hamza Choudhury remains a possibility today, although Brendan Rodgers has revealed that Leicester City are yet to receive an offer for the midfielder.

Choudhury is keen to leave the King Power Stadium this summer as he has not featured in any of Leicester’s Premier League matches this season, with Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans and Boubakary Soumare all ahead of him in the Foxes’ pecking order.

However, while Rodgers is aware of Newcastle’s ongoing interest in the 23-year-old, the clock is ticking if the Magpies want to push through a deal.

“That’s (a loan move for Choudhury) something we would have to wait until something would come in,” said Rodgers. “Hamza's attitude and mentality has been first class and there has been a lot of speculation around him going out and various clubs but, at this moment in time, we haven't had any offers in. To his credit, he's been absolutely first class."