Newcastle United boss Chris Hughton is stepping up his bid for Olympique Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa.
Hughton has avoided talking about the 23-year-old French international but it is understood that Newcastle have been told the winger is theirs for the season if they double a reported offer of 400,000 Euros.
The loan deal would contain a clause for a possible permanent move.
Even after watching their friendly defeat to Rangers, Hughton played down the need for a midfield boost.
He said: "We are aware of the rumours. But I'm not going to talk about them. We are always looking for new players.
"It is not nice to lose, especially so close to the start of the season. But there were more positives than negatives."
