It is understood the Magpies have tabled a £10m offer, although the 22-year-old has also been tracked by Arsenal, who are rumoured to face a fight to hang on to Emmanuel Adebayor.

Gomis, who is on duty with France at Euro 2008, recently signed a new four-year deal and has been likened to a younger Didier Drogba.

It promises to be an anxious few weeks for Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan as Dennis Wise and vice-president (player recruitment) Tony Jimenez attempt to bolster a squad which was small even before the departures started.

The former England boss, of course, spent heavily during his first reign at St James' to recruit the likes of Les Ferdinand, David Ginola, Faustino Asprilla and Alan Shearer.

The Gomis bid and the failed Luka Modric offer which preceded it suggest the current regime is willing to invest in the playing staff, but their efforts to control the wage bill also hint at a greater emphasis on balancing the books.