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Newcastle United have cooled their interest in Bafetimbi Gomis – despite the player making it clear that a move to Tyneside this January still interests him.

United came close to an agreement for the 28-year-old last summer only for the move to be complicated by agent fees and late interest from Marseille, which eventually saw the deal collapse and the player staying put at Lyon.

And although Gomis has been offered around clubs once again during the January transfer window, Newcastle have been put off by the demands of the players’ representatives with an agent fee of around £1m the demand for the deal from Lyon to Newcastle.

The hefty sum is thought to be a major factor in Newcastle’s bid last summer and could hinder his hopes of a Premier League move again this time around.

Gomis has Mondial Promotion listed as his representatives, the same group that represent Marseille’s Andre Ayew and ex-Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.

Both the Magpies and Lyon agreed a knockdown fee last summer for Gomis with his current contract about to come an end in six months.

Any potential transfer fee would be likely to reduced again this winter, but United are understood to be relaxed about the situation as they have other targets on their list and Gomis is not a priority.

Also on Newcastle’s hit-list is out of sorts striker Luuk De Jong of Borussia Monchengladbach with the 23-year-old available for a loan deal.

A temporary switch would also be the deal on the table for Demba Ba of Chelsea. The Magpies haven’t ruled out his return but were quoted around £3million for a loan switch last summer for the whole season.

The Blues would offer a reduced fee for a loan switch for the second half of the campaign and Jose Mourinho will not stand in his way if he wants to return to the North East.

French teenage left-back Nathan Dekoke of St Etienne is another player on United’s list, but the 17-year-old would be pooled straight into the development squad under Wille Donachie and Dave Watson with a four-year deal mooted in France.

United remain eager to hold on to their star players in January but Alan Pardew has already described Newcastle as “hard sellers” this window and should they receive a substantial offer for the likes of Yohan Cabaye or Hatem Ben Arfa, they are unlikely to turn it down.

But Pardew has been told he does not have to sell to buy in this window and has had assurances that he will be given money to spend.