Newcastle United pulled out of a deal for Barcelona defender Marlon Santos yesterday due to work permit doubts.

Marlon was interesting Everton and West Ham this summer, but Newcastle were closest to signing the Brazilian yesterday.

However, Marca says the Toon dropped negotiations after being alerted to the difficulty they'd face securing a UK work permit for the Brazilian.

Marlon has since signed a new contract and is expected to leave on-loan before the end of the month.

The defender spent last season on-loan in France with Nice.