NEWCASTLE United defender Harrison Ashby is close to finalising his loan move to Swansea City.

The 21-year-old has impressed in pre-season but Eddie Howe and Newcastle's coaches are keen for the young defender to benefit from regular football in the coming season, which would be hard to come by at St James' Park, with Kieran Trippier first choice right-back and the Magpies still pushing hard to sign Tino Livramento from Southampton.

Ashby, who joined Newcastle from West Ham in January, had a medical scheduled with Swansea at the start of this week ahead of completing his loan switch to the second tier outfit.

“There are three medicals booked for Monday morning, so we’re hoping they all come through,” said Swansea boss Mike Duff at the weekend.

“You never know in football, someone might gazump us or they might fail their medicals hence the reason I never say who they are because if they fail a medical it’s not fair on the player because it might affect a move somewhere else.

“I think there’s a couple of loan moves in there.”

Newcastle hope it will be one out, one in at right-back, with United still pushing to bring in Livramento from Southampton.

The Magpies have so far been unable to agree a fee with Saints, but the Championship club were this week linked with a move for Norwich's Max Aarons, suggesting they're potentially planning for life after Livramento.

However, Southampton's director of football Jason Wilcox has warned Newcastle that Livramento will only be allowed to leave if a "win-win" agreement is reached.

READ MORE:

He told the Daily Echo: “When I looked across the squad, I thought there is going to be a huge Premier League market for certain players – without naming names. I’ve got a responsibility to make the right recommendations to the football club on whether we should accept something and we can reinvest, whether it’s the right thing for the player or the club.

“In these situations, the best situation is to have a win-win agreement where it’s the best solution for all parties – but we’ve got a value on them. We’re a big football club that has been relegated to the Championship but we’ve got a value and we’re not going to allow our players to leave if we don’t feel it’s a win-win.

“If a club wants to take our players on the cheap and we feel as though we’re losing then that’s not a win-win agreement – there has to be a compromise. There will be situations where we say to players ‘I’m really sorry but the value is not there, you’re going to be with us in the Championship and have to generate your Premier League value'."