Mevlut Erdinc
Erdinc is a long standing target for Newcastle. REUTERS

Newcastle look set to battle up to three French clubs if they still hope to sign Mevlut Erinc this month, according to French media, with the striker said to be on the Toon's radar as a possible extra forward following the arrival of Papiss Demba Cisse.

At the start of the month, Alan Pardew had been adamant that the club would not sign a striker, despite being unable to land Modibo Maiga as a replacement for the long departed Andy Carroll.

The comments were particularly controversial, after he had assured fans that he was going to find a replacement for Carroll after the striker left for Liverpool in almost literally the last minute of the 2011 January transfer window.

But the signing of Cisse, which was confirmed this week, would insinuate that the club have in fact been trying to keep possible deals quiet from the media, and just nine days ago Newcastle paper the Journal claimed that Erdinc is on the Toon's radar once more, after the club were continually connected to the 24 year old in the summer.

Newcastle made an official offer for Erdinc last July, and while Pardew spoke very highly of the Turkey international, he eventually turned down the £7 million move in favour of staying at up and coming PSG.

And so far the decision has been the right one for Erdinc, with PSG currently topping the Ligue 1 table and looking likely to qualify for the Champions League next season.

But his positioning at the French outfit could now become more of a bench role, with Carlos Tevez widely reported to be considering a move to the big spending side this month. And exit speculation has grown around Erdinc as a result of his form as well, with the shooter only having scored one goal for PSG in 17 appearances this season.

And while Newcastle are touted to be one of the bigger spending clubs willing to bid for the star, the side will now have to fight with the likes of Lille, Bordeaux and Rennes, according to L'Equipe, with Galatasaray, Fulham and Sunderland also monitoring the situation.

And while Cisse has been signed by the north eastern club, with a large chunk of the £35 million from Carroll's sale still unaccounted for, Erdinc could still be on the club's radar, with Pardew continuing to dodge questions and refuse to confirm targets from the media.