Newcastle eye Chris Wood transfer in bid to solve goalscoring problems

Newcastle United have turned their attention to Burnley striker Chris Wood in their search for a centre forward and hope he will sign this week.

Telegraph Sport has learned that Newcastle have made an approach for the New Zealand international and are pushing hard to make the deal happen, even though they would be signing a player from a relegation rival in Burnley.

The player would like to make the move across the Pennines and Newcastle will intensify their efforts to land the 30-year-old. Interestingly, they have not been discouraged in their pursuit so far and Wood has become one of their priority acquisitions.

Wood is not the only striker target Newcastle are looking at, with Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah also an option, along with Liverpool’s Divock Origi.

Whether Arsenal or Liverpool are willing to deal this week remains to be seen. The Gunners would still like Nketiah to sign a new contract and Liverpool would like to have a replacement lined up for Origi before they let the Belgium international leave

Newcastle have also cast their net abroad in the search for more firepower and have asked Zenit St Petersburg about Iran international Sardar Azmoun and Marseille's Senegal international Bamba Dieng. The number of targets reflects the increasingly pressurised environment the Newcastle hierarchy are operating in.

What is certain is that the intention among the Newcastle hierarchy is to bring in at least one forward before they play Watford next weekend, as well as a centre-back.

Bids for Lille Sven Botman and Sevilla’s Diego Carlos remain active, although it is not known what sort of progress has been made over the weekend. Both players would like to sign for Newcastle this month but their clubs are trying to extract as much money out of the Magpies as possible.

The plan, which was discussed again in the immediate aftermath of the shock 1-0 FA Cup defeat to Cambridge United by the consortium, along with manager Eddie Howe, is to move strongly for all those on the shortlist in the next 72 hours.

Interestingly, chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was at St James’ Park at the weekend and it is understood he wants decisive action taken in recruitment this week.

Newcastle’s need for a centre forward was brutally highlighted during the drab defeat to Cambridge, where the best striker on the pitch was the League One side's Joe Ironside.

Indeed, had Newcastle had the 28-year-old in their side, a player who once idolised the club’s record goalscorer Alan Shearer, they would have won the game. Instead, it was the striker who only moved back into league football when he joined Cambridge two years ago, who scored the only goal of the game to instantly become a club and FA Cup legend.

Newcastle delivered 35 crosses into the area against Cambridge but did not have anyone to get on the end of them with Allan Saint-Maximin and then Jacob Murphy playing as a false nine with mixed results.

Wood, with his presence, hold up play and aerial ability, would solve that problem immediately. But, as ever, the selling club are well aware of Newcastle’s predicament and can make things difficult.

The defeat in front of a sell out crowd at St James’ Park was easily the worst moment of Howe’s reign as manager and will have hardened his view on the players who are no longer going to be part of his plans moving forward.

In the end, Premier League survival was always going to be more important than an FA Cup run for Newcastle this season and if they can beat Watford at home next weekend all will be forgiven.

Whether some of those playing in black and white shirts on the day are forgiven so easily is doubtful when they have been producing performances like that far too often for it to be dismissed as just a bad day at the office.