Numerous press outlets are reporting that Newcastle have agreed a three year deal with yet another Frenchman, with Romain Amalfitano set to join the club as soon as Reims finish their season.

The Toon have been working hard to set up transfer targets for after their wildly successful season, and though the club are on a limited budget compared to their current top four counterparts, they have shown that money doesn't necessarily buy the best talent.

The likes of Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba and Papiss Demba Cisse have shone since their moves to Newcastle over the last 12 months, and the side will be hoping that the same happens with Amalfitano, who the Daily Mail reports will move to St James' Park on a free transfer.

Alan Pardew
Alan Pardew is focusing Newcastle's transfer policy on French signings.

Born in Nice, Amalfitano made the move to Reims from Evian in 2010, and has made over 40 appearances for the club since.

Newcastle's transfer policy is one to be envied by many clubs, including the likes of Liverpool, who spent 10 times the money the Toon have over the past 18 months and currently sit 16 points shy of the north eastern club.

Should Newcastle keep fourth spot and Chelsea not win the Champions League, the club could well be in Europe's top tier competition next season. And if this happens, the side will have a lot more players putting their hands up to join the fight for one of Europe's most coveted trophies.

Chieck Tiote insisted this week that players would be much more keen to make the move to Newcastle, and in turn the current squad will be encouraged to stay.

"It is great - it is very important for this football club," Tiote told the Journal. "For a long time the fans have not had European football but now, next season, we will be in European competition.

"It is great for the club, the fans and for everyone. It will definitely convince players to stay.

"It is important. If the team is playing in Europe, it is better for us to keep our best players.

"It will be difficult to keep our very best players if we are not playing in Europe, so to achieve this is good. We have a very good squad here, it is not just about one or two players - it is about the squad."