Newcastle United want to sign one of Olivier Giroud or Michy Batshuayi on loan for the rest of the season - but Chelsea will not agree to either deal until they can find a replacement.
The strikers have been stuck behind Tammy Abraham in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, meaning first-team opportunities have been hard to come by for both.
Of the two, Giroud is seen as the most likely to leave as his contract will expire in the summer. There has been interest in Giroud from both France and Italy, but The Telegraph claim that Newcastle are eager to give him the chance to remain in the Premier League.
Steve Bruce wants to bring a new striker to St James' Park to try and alleviate the pressure on record signing Joelinton, who has managed just one goal in his first 21 appearances and looks completely bereft of confidence.
He believes that Giroud could be the man to help because his link-up play could bring the best out of Joelinton, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almirón.
However, Chelsea will not let him go unless they can bring in a replacement as Frank Lampard does not want to weaken his squad while they are fighting to retain their place in the top four of the Premier League.
The same goes for Batshuayi, who also appears set to remain at Stamford Bridge unless Chelsea can bring in an alternative.
The Blues have been linked with a whole host of strikers, with Lyon's Moussa Dembélé, RB Leipzig's Timo Werner and Inter's Gabigol all believed to be in their sights.
Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and West Ham United are all thought to be keen on the Belgian, so Newcastle may prefer to focus their efforts on Giroud if it turns out that one of Chelsea's strikers is allowed to leave.
The Frenchman is thought to be open to the move as he just wants to play Premier League football, but as it stands, Chelsea are not budging.
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Source : 90min