NEWCASTLE UNITED are ready to resurrect their interest in Marc Guehi next month, with Crystal Palace’s failure to agree a new contract with the England international having increased the chances of them being able to agree a deal.

Guehi was Newcastle’s number one target for the majority of the summer, but Palace chairman Steve Parish rejected a succession of offers for the centre-half.

The Magpies’ final offer was worth around £60m, and while Parish continued to dig his heels in, it has been suggested that some of the club’s other shareholders were more willing to take Newcastle’s money.

The window for cashing in on Guehi continues to close, with the 24-year-old due to enter the final 18 months of his current deal at the turn of the year. While there was talk of arranging a new contract at Selhurst Park when the summer window closed at the end of August, there have been no indications that Guehi is willing to extend his stay in south London.

That should strengthen Newcastle’s hand in any January negotiations, with the next transfer window representing Palace’s last realistic opportunity to get a hefty fee for one of their leading assets.

Newcastle will not be returning with the same offer that was rejected in late August as they feel Guehi’s value has diminished over the course of the last three months because of his contractual position. The Magpies’ recruitment, team, led by sporting director Paul Mitchell, will also be mindful that Palace’s poor start to the season might well have shifted ambition levels within the Eagles’ boardroom, with Guehi’s own form since the summer having been called into question.

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Newcastle’s need for a new centre-half has not diminished since the summer, with the club’s hierarchy regarding the future-proofing of the defensive unit as a key priority.

While Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles should both return from cruciate-ligament injuries at the start of next year, the latter is due to become a free agent in the summer, along with Fabian Schar and Emil Krafth. All three players are in their 30s, and part of the thinking behind the summer pursuit of Guehi was the desire to sign a world-class centre-half who could form the bedrock of the Newcastle back four for a number of years.

For all that Guehi has failed to sparkle in a Crystal Palace shirt this season, he remains one of the most highly-regarded central defenders in the Premier League, as highlighted by his continued presence at the heart of England’s backline.

Having spent a significant amount of time trying to sign Guehi in the summer, the Newcastle hierarchy are confident they can meet the defender’s financial demands. When talks were taking place in the summer, it was widely reported that Guehi was keen to move to Tyneside, a stance that is not believed to have changed.