DAN GOSLING has agreed to join Newcastle United, but the midfielder’s future might not be formally resolved for another two weeks.

Having talked to at least four Premier League clubs in the last seven days, Gosling has verbally agreed to move to St James’ Park.

The England Under-21 international, who is currently nursing a cruciate injury that will sideline him until late November at the earliest, held face-to-face talks in the North-East last Friday.

Newcastle officials have offered him a four-year deal worth around £25,000-a-week, and despite competing interest from Bolton, West Ham and Sunderland, Gosling has expressed a desire to join the Magpies.

However, his move to Tyneside is complicated by the events that led to him becoming a free agent at the end of last month.

Gosling’s former employers, Everton, verbally offered him a new deal, but failed to table a written offer before a Premier League deadline expired.

As a result, a Premier League tribunal ruled that Gosling was entitled to a free transfer once his previous contract at Goodison Park expired.

Everton have 14 days from last Friday in which to appeal against the ruling, and while they have not yet done so, the Merseyside club are expected to lodge a formal appeal with the Premier League.

If that appeal was to be upheld, Newcastle would have to pay compensation in order to secure Gosling’s services, and given the midfielder’s record with the England Under-21 side, that bill would almost certainly exceed the £1m mark.

Everton paid £2m to sign Gosling from Plymouth Argyle in January 2008, and the youngster has subsequently scored six goals in 37 senior appearances for David Moyes’ side.

Newcastle are understood to have pledged to carry through their commitment to sign Gosling, even if a Premier League appeal committee was to rule in Everton’s favour, but they may be unable to confirm the 20-yearold’s arrival until the situation is resolved.

Despite technically being a free agent, Gosling’s player registration forms have not yet passed to St James’ Park.

Chris Hughton has been monitoring the situation closely, despite spending last weekend in Ireland at Newcastle’s Carton House training camp.

The Magpies are due to return to England on Thursday, before playing their opening pre-season game at Carlisle United on Saturday.

Hughton is expected to include a number of youngsters in his line-up at Brunton Park, with the likes of Haris Vuckic, Fraser Forster, Phil Airey, Stephen Folan and Kazenga Lua Lua all having worked with the senior squad this week.

Vuckic, in particular, is expected to feature in the first team next season, and Hughton is hoping the highly- rated Slovenian is not the only young player to step up to the next level.

“Haris has trained with the first team and will do so again next season,” said the Newcastle boss. “We’ll be seeing more of him.

“Then you have a batch of players who were successful in the FA Youth Cup and are now part of what we call the development squad – the link between the Academy and first team.

“They’ll be based with us at the first-team base. We value them very highly, but do I see them coming into the first team soon? That will be up to them.”

■ Former Newcastle favourite Nolberto Solano has signed a one-year deal with Championship side Hull City.