Newcastle Consider Midfield Replacement as Alan Pardew Admits Yohan Cabaye Doubts

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew is not confident of keeping Yohan Cabaye at St James' Park beyond the current transfer window.

Paris Saint-Germain saw their opening bid of £14m for the Frenchman rejected by the club on Sunday while Manchester United have once again been linked with a move for the 28-year-old having finalised the signing of Juan Mata.

The Tyneside club managed to retain the France international despite his refusal to play for the club in the first three games of the season after they rejected an offer from Arsenal last August, but Pardew is unsure whether the club will be able to resist offers from bigger clubs for much longer.

When asked if he was confident of keeping hold of Cabaye, Pardew told BBC Sport: "No, I'm not confident.

"I don't think any team not in a Champions League position or fighting for a Champions League spot could be.

"We know we have got a club interested in Cabaye, a very wealthy club and a powerful club and we are conscious of that. We are doing our best to protect Newcastle."

With the Ligue 1 champions expected to increase their offer for the former Lille star before Friday's transfer deadline, Newcastle have been fervently looking for someone to potentially replace his influence in the middle of the park.

With any move for Montpellier's Remy Cabella likely to remain on hold until the summer, reports suggest the club will move forward with a €13m bid for Lyon midfielder Clement Grenier. The 23-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal last summer before ending such speculation by deciding to sign a new contract with the Ligue 1 club.

Despite only recommitting himself to Les Gones seven months ago, most recent reports suggest Grenier is once again open to the idea of playing in another country and would consider an approach from the Magpies.