Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce admits he's anxious to tie up a deal for Bolton Wanderers defender Tal Ben Haim.

He told The Journal: "My main priority at the moment is signing defensive players and that is where we are looking to strengthen.

"We want to get that department right before we start looking at other areas. We are very interested in Ben Haim, but he is getting ready for his wedding next weekend. It is something I will be chasing up this week."