With just over a week to go before the deadline for permanent deals to be done, Newcastle are in talks with Portsmouth over a deal for former Watford defender Mike Williamson.
His arrival on Tyneside has become more pressing due to an injury suffered by Steven Taylor which will keep him out for two months.
Blackburn midfielder Keith Andrews meanwhile has also emerged as a target for the Magpies.
West Brom meanwhile are in the hunt for new faces further forward, although manager Roberto Di Matteo is unlikely to join the chase for Sunderland outcast David Healy.