Pardew
Swiss arrival: Alan Pardew has been busy as Kevin Mbabu has signed a three-and-half year deal with Newcastle. (Pic nufc.co.uk)

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew is concerned the club could miss out on their number one summer transfer target in the form of Lyon striker Bafetimibi Gomis.

Pardew expressed his interest in Gomis last week with the club having only added Olivier Kemen to their squad ahead of the new season.

Joe Kinnear was controversially appointed as the club's new director of football in June with sole control of Newcastle's transfer dealings, however little headway having been made in the market and Pardew is anxious the club could miss out on their prime target.

"I'm pushing Joe to get a transfer in," Pardew insisted.

"We need a boost now. We're in a situation where we want to progress. Gomis is a player who would suit us, and we should pursue it as strongly as we can."

Gomis scored 20 goals for Lyon last season and has emerged as the club's main striker target after interest in Queens Park Rangers forward Loic Remy cooled.

A new striker has been Pardew's main transfer priority from the outset of the window but Newcastle's necessity to add a forward has diminished after Papiss Cisse reportedly agreed a deal to wear the club's Wonga sponsored shirt from next season.

Cisse had claimed that wearing a shirt baring the name of the controversial pay-way lender would conflict with his Muslim beliefs; however fellow Islam followers in the Newcastle squad such as Hatem ben Arfa and Moussa Sissoko had agreed to wear the shirt.

The Senegal striker scored 13 goals last season and finished the club's joint top scorer in a campaign undermined by a relegation battle in the Premier League.

A 16<sup>th place finished represented a far cry from the previous campaign, where Newcastle finished just outside the Champions league qualification places.

The news will come as a welcome boost to Newcastle, whose captain Fabricio Coloccini and midfielder Yohan Cabaye have been at the centre of transfer speculation this summer.