Newcastle make loan bid for winger Townsend

Rafa Benitez is desperate to sign Townsend before tonight’s transfer deadline.

And United are understood to have made an offer to sign the 25-year on loan with a view to a permanent deal.

Townsend was sold to Palace for £13million last summer in the wake of the club’s relegation, but the England international has struggled for form at Selhurst Park.

SportsMail understands that Newcastle have tabled a loan fee for Townsend, which is being considered by Palace.

Townsend’s future is set to be decided in the final hours of the window.

Palace are interested in taking United’s Chancel Mbemba on loan, and the defender could make the switch as part of any agreement with Palace over Townsend.

Benitez will speak to the media today ahead of tomorrow night’s home game against Queens Park Rangers.

Newcastle, knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday by League Two Oxford United, are second in the Championship table.

Benitez has been pushing for the club to invest some of the £30million profit it made in last summer’s transfer window.

United’s manager believes that the signing of Townsend would make all the difference to the club’s Championship promotion campaign.

Meanwhile, Newcastle’s Tim Krul could be set for a deadline day move from loan club Ajax, who will allow him to join another club for the second half of the season.

Krul – who has recovered from a long-term knee injury he suffered playing for Holland in October 2015 – is yet to play a game for the Amsterdam club.

Andre Onana has established himself as Ajax’s first-choice goalkeeper this season following the departure of Jasper Cillessen to Barcelona last summer.

And Ajax manager Peter Bosz said: “When the decision was made to loan Krul, Onana was not the first goalkeeper, but he has taken his chance.”

“If a club comes for him (Krul), and he wants to go, then he goes there.”