NEWCASTLE UNITED’S hopes of making an early transfer breakthrough have been thwarted after they encountered difficulties in moves for all three of their leading attacking targets.

And to complete a frustrating fortnight for new head coach Steve McClaren, the Magpies are still to appoint a single new member of the backroom staff after Steve Round rejected the opportunity of a second spell at St James’ Park.

McClaren’s appointment was supposed to have kick-started a major recruitment drive, but despite the former England boss having held a number of meetings with Lee Charnley and Graham Carr in an attempt to push through some transfer business, Newcastle are no closer to a breakthrough.

The recruitment team have identified Charlie Austin, Bas Dost and Saido Berahino as their leading targets, but all three prospective deals now look fraught with difficulties.

Austin’s price tag was always going to be a considerable obstacle to overcome, but it is the striker’s reluctance to leave London and move to Tyneside that looks like scuppering any hope of an agreement.

Having returned from international duty with England, Austin is understood to have told his representatives that he is not keen on joining Newcastle, despite the Magpies’ much-trumpeted interest in securing his services.

West Ham United have signalled their own desire to sign the QPR striker, and sources in London claim Austin would be much keener on a move to Upton Park than a switch to the North-East.

As well as providing an opportunity to remain in the capital, West Ham can also offer the lure of a move to the Olympic Stadium in 12 months time as well as a wage packet that is likely to be higher than the one Austin would receive at Newcastle.

The Hammers hierarchy have promised to back new boss Slaven Bilic in the transfer market this summer, and unless Mike Ashley reverses his previous refusal to become involved in a bidding battle, United will find it hard to persuade Austin to choose them.

With that in mind, Newcastle officials intend to make renewed contact with their counterparts at Wolfsburg this week in an attempt to sign Dost.

There has already been contact between the two clubs, and as a former Wolfsburg boss, McClaren boasts extremely close ties with a number of senior figures at the Bundesliga club.

Despite scoring 20 league goals last season, Dost could be available for around £12m, but Newcastle are far from the only club monitoring his situation, and once again, the Magpies do not find themselves at the front of the queue when it comes to their target’s preferences.

The German media have extensively linked Dost with a move to Borussia Dortmund, and the 26-year-old is keen to wait as long as possible in the hope of securing a move to one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

He is aware of Newcastle’s interest, but will not be committing to anything until Dortmund’s intentions become clear. And even then, he would much prefer to join a club who could offer European football – preferably in the Champions League – next season.

Berahino is expected to be a target for a host of Premier League clubs this summer, with McClaren understood to be championing a move for the 21-year-old, who has two years left on his current deal at the Hawthorns.

However, with West Brom boss Tony Pulis adamant that he does not want to lose the forward, who was forced to pull out of the European Under-21 Championships because of injury last week, the Baggies board have signalled a determination to dig in their heels.

West Brom are quoting a price of more than £25m for Berahino, and Newcastle would not be willing to go anywhere close to that figure for a player who scored 14 Premier League goals last season.

As well as trying to engineer a transfer breakthrough, McClaren is also working with Charnley to try to assemble his new backroom team, but progress on that front is proving equally elusive.

Round was identified as a leading target from the moment McClaren was installed as head coach, but the former Middlesbrough and England number two has rejected the offer of a move to Tyneside in order to focus on his attempts to secure a managerial position of his own.

“We spoke a couple of days ago, and he (McClaren) asked if I’d be interested, but he also knows it’s not what I want to do next,” said Round. “I want to be a head coach or a manager.

“That’s no disrespect to Newcastle. I worked there for a year with Big Sam (Allardyce) and Kevin Keegan, and it’s a magnificent club with great supporters, but at the moment I don’t think I’ll be joining them.

“To be a head coach or manager is my number one target. If that doesn’t happen in the coming months, I’ll have to drop back to being a number two or a coach, and I’ve got no problems with that.”

There has also been an approach to Bolo Zenden, but the former Middlesbrough midfielder is holding out for a possible move to the backroom team at Liverpool.