Newcastle United desperately need a win in the transfer market. It's been 12 months of pure frustration, with several star players swapping Tyneside for rival clubs and endless rejection arriving in pursuit of the replacements for those players.

However, there is still time for the Magpies to turn things around, and what better way to do that than by getting one over on arch-rivals Sunderland.

Those at St James' Park have momentarily turned their focus away from midfield additions and towards Toulouse left-back Dayann Methalie.

The 6'2 star would solve another potential problem for Matthias Jaissle, with rumours refusing to go away around the immediate future of Lewis Hall.

The left-back has attracted interest from Manchester United all summer and whilst Newcastle stand firm on their sale stance, the exit door doesn't tend to remain shut for very long on Tyneside these days.

Should history repeat itself, then the Magpies will be in the market for a left-back. That's where Methalie could come into play. The towering 20-year-old has already been the subject of offers from Sunderland, but now finds himself on the radar of their rivals.

He won't come cheap, either. Sunderland have already seen an offer worth as much as €33m (£28m) rejected by Toulouse and that would have been the biggest sale in the club's history.

Whether Toulouse's stance lasts the test of time is the big question. Newcastle's presence could certainly complicate things for those at the Stadium of Light.

Newcastle eyeing Dayann Methalie hijack

As reported by La Dépêche - a local newspaper that covers Toulouse - and relayed by Sport Witness, Newcastle are now eyeing a move to sign Methalie and could hijack Sunderland's move.

The Black Cats have been the most advanced side in the race for the defender, but after seeing their recent offer rejected, the door has been left ajar for Newcastle to swoop in.

Although the Magpies are yet to turn their interest into an offer, Sunderland have inadvertently handed their rivals the best place to start in negotiations.

Thanks to Sunderland's rejected £28m offer, those at St James' Park now know that they'll have to spend even more than that if they are to welcome Methalie this summer.

Newcastle accelerating talks to sign Joao Palhinha

It's not just a left-back that Newcastle have their eye on, of course. They're also desperate for a midfielder. Football FanCast understands that, after being rejected by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, the Magpies are accelerating talks to sign Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich.

Those at St James' Park face serious competition from Aston Villa, however, and the Villans are advancing their own deal for the midfielder. That could end in yet another blow, as they continue their search for a Bruno Guimaraes replacement.

With time ticking away, PIF have plenty of work to do if they want Mathias Jaissle's side to be ready for the opening day of the Premier League campaign.