Newcastle have told Celtic that Fraser Forster is not for sale after the Scottish Premier League club tabled a bid of £1.5m for the stopper. Celtic boss Neil Lennon has confirmed he has made an approach for the 23-year-old, who spent last season on loan in Glasgow.
"Newcastle have said at the minute he is not for sale but we will pursue that avenue further if we can," he said.
Magpies boss Alan Pardew last month cast doubt on the benefits for the player of another loan spell in SPL.
"We've been disappointed with the quality of the games, other than the occasional Rangers versus Celtic game, and even some of those have been poor," he was quoted as saying.