Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce remains hopeful of landing Manchester United defender Wes Brown this month.

"We have started some negotiations and hope they will be successful," Allardyce said. "We want players who can hit the ground running in January and Wes is one of those."

Manchester United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, rebuffed Newcastle's initial approach. "The matter rests with Wes and his agent," he said. "Our [contract] offer is still there."