Transfer news: Newcastle finally close in on Monchengladbach striker Luuk de Jong - reports

Borussia Monchengladbach striker Luuk de Jong (Getty Images)

Newcastle United director of football Joe Kinnear appears to have secured the services of Borussia Monchengladbach forward Luuk De Jong after flying to Germany to finalise a £8.5m deal.

After months of courting the 23-year-old, Monchengladbach will sanction the deal when they succeed in bringing in cover to replace the former FC Twente star.

According to the Daily Mirror, Toon striker Papiss Cisse was initially set to form part of a part-exchange deal but, after expressing strong objections to leaving St. James' Park, the deal now includes an outright fee.

Kinnear has been keen to broker a deal between the two parties for some time and appears to be nearing his first major coup since controversially returning to the North East.

Alan Pardew, the Magpies' manager, had isolated De Jong as a primary target in 2012 and hopes to finally include the Dutchman in his squad to face Norwich City next Tuesday.

The Bundesliga club will reportedly receive £7m upfront and the rest in incentive-based add-ons, but that will still fall bellow the £10m Newcastle offered Twente for his services last year.

Max Eberl, Monchengladbach's sporting director, said: "Things tend to happen more towards the end of the transfer window, and we’re moving into that now."