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Newcastle United’s pursuit of Aymen Abdennour could hang on their ability to sell Mike Williamson.

Winger Florian Thauvin became the Magpies’ fourth senior summer signing on Wednesday evening, one assistant manager Paul Simpson believes will lift spirits at St James’ Park, but the hope is they are not finished yet.

Reports have suggested a deal is close with Monaco for £15m-rated Tunisia international Abdennour, but it may be contingent on moving on Williamson.

Only Moussa Sissoko played more pre-season minutes for Newcastle than the 31-year-old, but with Fabricio Coloccini put straight into the side after not featuring in the warm-up games, and Chancel Mbemba also starting the Premier League campaign despite only joining days earlier, Williamson has been shunted aside.

He did not make the bench for the opening game of the season, but was there in Swansea and is likely to be again for Saturday’s trip to Manchester United. With Daryl Janmaat suspended, Mbemba is expected to move to right-back but if so it will be Steven Taylor, not Williamson, who takes his place in the heart of defence, as was the case in south Wales.

Williamson, who was linked with Leeds earlier in the summer, is not the only player Newcastle are looking to move on. Yoan Gouffran and Mehdi Abeid are also surplus to requirements, and the Magpies will always be open to good offers for their fringe players.

Selling Williamson would only provide a fraction of the money needed for Abdennour, but having both would leave the Magpies with an imbalance at centre-back. Having been light on numbers there in the last couple of seasons they now have quantity, but not yet the quality they want there.

As well as Mbemba, Jamaal Lascelles has joined the squad having been loaned to Nottingham Forest last season. The 21-year-old has never played in the Premier League, and made only 50 Championship starts.

Taylor and Williamson were part of Newcastle’s squad when they were last in the Football League, and neither has been able to establish themselves as Coloccini’s defensive partner since. In Taylor’s case that is partly down to injury, but in Williamson’s it is reservations about his abilities at top-flight level.

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Abdennour would certainly represent an upgrade, although his agent Abdelkader Jilani has claimed he would prefer a move to Italy, and that Roma and both Milan clubs have shown an interest.

After years of under-investment, summer signings Thauvin, Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic are the most expensive of Mike Ashley’s ownership, and Abdennour comes into the same price bracket.

Centre-forward is another area Newcastle hope to strengthen in, but West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has cast doubt on Queens Park Rangers’ £15m valuation by questioning Charlie Austin’s fitness and effectiveness. Newcastle value Austin at nearer £12m but so far none of the many clubs looking at the England international have matched QPR’s valuation.

Austin called Sullivan’s comments “inaccurate, misleading and uninformed innuendo”.

Meanwhile, Simpson feels the arrival of 22-year-old Thauvin – who prefers to play behind the main striker, but who coach Steve McClaren described as a “genuine winger” – will raise morale on and off the field.

“He’s a really talented footballer, somebody who we hope will improve the group,” Simpson told his club’s official website.

“If he’s involved at Old Trafford on Saturday, we’re not expecting him to set the world alight straight away but if we can get him involved it’ll give the whole football club a boost, and the rest of the players because they want competition for places.

“And I also hope it’ll give the supporters a boost, because so far we’ve only got one point but the level of performance against Southampton gave us all a little taster of where we can get to.”

Midfielder Moussa Sissoko is hoping to add to the feelgood factor by returning ahead of schedule at Old Trafford following his groin strain at Swansea.