Auxerre midfielder Alain Traore is interesting Newcastle United.

The Daily Mail says the 22-year-old Burkina Faso player may struggle to gain a work permit initially - a problem that arose when he went for trials at Manchester United five years ago.

United wanted to sign Traore but needed him to go to their nursery club Royal Antwerp in Belgium first.

Traore, though, was offered a deal by Auxerre and has caught the eye this season by scoring six goals in 12 games from the left side of midfield.