Newcastle United are weighing up bringing Bolton Wanderers defender Andy O'Brien back to the club.

The Journal says the interest is no more than tentative at the moment and he is on a long list of players being considered by Hughton.

There has been no formal bid and Bolton manager Owen Coyle was at pains to stress yesterday that there had been no contact from his Newcastle counterpart regarding O'Brien.

O'Brien has another year left on his deal and would happily stay and fight it out for a first-team place at Bolton. But if Wanderers were happy to let him leave for a minimal fee, or even pay up his deal, the Harrogate-born defender would welcome a return to St James' Park.