NEWCASTLE will hold further talks with Cardiff City next week in the hope of completing a deal for striker Jay Bothroyd.

Magpies officials have opened negotiations with their counterparts at the Cardiff City Stadium and representatives of Bothroyd, who is due to become a free agent at the end of the season.

Those talks are understood to have gone well, although a number of other Premier League clubs have also approached the England international.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has shelved his interest until this weekend’s Wear- Tyne derby is out of the way, and while he was reluctant to say too much about his interest in Bothroyd yesterday, he remains hopeful of securing a deal for the 28-year-old.

“The only thing I’d want to say is that he (Bothroyd) is a player I admire,” said Pardew.

“I wouldn’t want to add any more to that.”

Bothroyd last night, however, used his Twitter account to claim he was happy to stay in South Wales.

“Newcastle is a great club but I’m really happy at Cardiff,’’ he tweeted. “OK I’m a Cardiff player, I’m focused on getting promotion with the Cardiff faithful.’’ Having failed to secure either Robbie Keane or David Bentley on loan this month, Bothroyd would be a welcome addition given the lack of attacking options in the current Newcastle squad.

The striker’s situation was discussed when Pardew met Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias on Wednesday, and the trio also highlighted a need to start contract talks with Joey Barton and Jose Enrique.

Both players are due to enter the final year of their existing deals in the summer, and Pardew is keen to avoid a situation where they could potentially talk to prospective suitors in 12 months’ time.

“I had a meeting this week with the owner and Derek, and the main thing that emerged from that was a desire to keep our core players,”

said the Newcastle boss. “It’s nice to be able to bring someone in, but it’s proving difficult because it’s a time when everyone is looking at deals and thinking, ‘Is it really right to go overboard in this window and upset the balance of your squad?’ “The most important players are the ones that are doing well for us right now. That’s been my focus. We’ve obviously secured Steven (Taylor), Joey’s got 18 months to go and we want to look at him and we want to look at Jose as well.”

A number of recent reports suggested controversial Iranian businessman Kia Joorabchian had joined Newcastle as the club’s new football advisor, but Pardew categorically claimed that was not the case.

■ Shola Ameobi has earned a maiden call-up to the Nigeria squad for next month’s friendly with Guatemala in the United States.

The Zaria-born striker, who moved to England when he was five, is eligible to represent Nigeria at full international level, despite having previously played for England Under-21s.