Newcastle Utd boss: Still time for another deal

Manager Alan Pardew would like to see a new face or two in his squad

“My situation here is that I like to think we are still looking at the market,” he said. “As the manager, I am hoping one comes in.”

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley was at St James’s Park for Saturday’s draw against Crystal Palace.

Ashley watched the game alongside managing director Lee Charnley, who oversaw the nine signings made so far by the club.

But the Magpies’ squad still looks short of a striker, and reports in France have claimed that the club has made another abortive move for Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette.

Newcastle’s options are seemingly running out, with former loanee Loic Remy having yesterday joined Chelsea.

Pardew, however, maintains the “targets” are there for the club.

But the 53-year-old has again reiterated his belief that there will need to one or more outgoings to create room for a new arrival.

“It’s not about targets now, it’s about finance,” said Pardew. “The targets are there. It’s about whether we can do the finance.

“It’s possible that we need to create some room.”

There could also be movement elsewhere, with defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa wanted on loan by a number of clubs, including Olympique Marseille.

Yanga-Mbiwa will only be allowed to leave if the club can replace him.

A number of players, including Hatem Ben Arfa, Gael Bigirimana, Shane Ferguson, Gabriel Obertan and Haris Vuckic could also leave on loans or permanent deals.

Ben Arfa has turned down a move to Besiktas, while Birmingham City are interested in taking the forward on loan.

However, the forward – who has been frozen out by Pardew – could opt to run down the final year of his contract at St James’s Park.

Pardew, meanwhile, says there’s something special about Rolando Aarons – after watching him open his account with a rare headed goal.

Pardew says the winger is as good as Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was when he handed him his debut at Southampton.

Aarons sparked Pardew’s side into life after coming off the bench at St James’s Park on Saturday with Newcastle trailing Crystal Palace.

The teenager scored one goal and had a hand in Mike Williamson’s late strike in the dramatic draw.

Aarons beat Julien Speroni with a header from a corner before setting up Williamson for Newcastle’s third goal with a shot that struck the post in the 88th minute. But Wilfried Zaha claimed a point with an injury-time equaliser.

Aarons (right) had never previously scored with his head.

“There have been times when we have come up against packed defences in the last two, three games, really, and it’s sometimes difficult,” said Pardew.

“Things come unstuck, and you start losing your flow and your ideas, and then you just need that sub to make an impact.

“Can he makes the right impact? Well, he certainly did that, and he did that at Gillingham in the week. There’s just something about him.

“I have given a lot of really good players a debut – Jonjo Shelvey, Mark Noble, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain spring to mind – and I would put him in that category, where he is right now.

“But those guys see it through and that’s what he needs to do.”

Palace had taken the lead after just 30 seconds when Dwight Gayle handed new boss Neil Warnock the perfect start to his reign, pouncing on a rebound after Tim Krul could only turn Marouane Chamakh’s shot on to a post and blasting into the roof of the net.

Newcastle levelled seven minutes before the break when Daryl Janmaat’s initial effort pinballed between defenders before the ball sat up nicely for him to stab past keeper Julian Speroni with the help of a deflection off defender Damien Delaney.

Palace went ahead again when Yannick Bolasie squared for Jason Puncheon, who controlled neatly before sending a volley across Krul and into the far corner.

Pardew introduced Aarons in a bid to add much-needed invention, and it paid off as he stooped to head home a second equaliser at the far post after Remy Cabella’s left-wing corner had been flicked on.

Mike Williamson must have thought he had won it when he tapped home from close range after Aarons’ audacious effort had come back off a post, but Zaha struck deep into added on time to claim a point for the visitors.

Newcastle: Krul, Janmaat (Anita 79), Williamson, Coloccini, Haidara, Sissoko, Colback, Cabella, De Jong (Perez 79), Gouffran (Aarons 67), Riviere. Subs not used: Elliot, Obertan, Steven Taylor, Dummett. Booked: Aarons. Goals: Janmaat 37, Aarons 73, Williamson 88.

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Mariappa, Dann, Delaney, Kelly, Puncheon, Jedinak, Ward, Bolasie (Murray 83), Chamakh (Campbell 52), Gayle (Zaha 70). Subs not used: Hangeland, Hennessey, J Williams, Bannan. Booked: Mariappa, Chamakh, Murray. Goals: Gayle 1, Puncheon 48, Zaha 90.

Att: 49,226. Ref: Mike Jones (Cheshire).