Abdoulaye Faye is expected to undergo a medical on Tyneside today before a proposed £2 million transfer from Bolton Wanderers to Newcastle United. Sam Allardyce remains keen to bolster his playing resources further before the closure of the transfer window and versatility is a key requirement for the manager, who is also in pursuit of Phil Neville, of Everton.

Faye, signed by Allardyce for Bolton from Lens in 2005 as a midfield player, made the majority of his 29 league starts last season as a centre half and the Senegal international would offer cover for a squad lacking defensive strength in depth. The same would apply to midfield if, as expected, Kieron Dyer and Nolberto Solano depart St James’ Park this month.

Neville would offer similar qualities, albeit at a higher cost, but Allardyce’s interest will not be welcomed or encouraged at Goodison Park, where the 30-year-old is club captain and has a long-term contract.

He may be flattered by Newcastle’s advances, but Neville will not agitate to leave a club building a squad to compete in the Uefa Cup this season.

Other alternatives beckon for Allardyce, although money is proving a stumbling block in Newcastle’s negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain over Mario Yepes, until recently a teammate of David Rozehnal, the Czech Republic defender who joined Newcastle for £2.9 million in June. The French club are haggling for a fee of up to £1.5 million for Yepes, a 31-year-old defender regarded by Allardyce as a potential free transfer.

The manager has organised a behind-closed-doors friendly with Gretna, the Scottish Premier League club, today as Michael Owen eases back towards full fitness before Newcastle’s match at home to Aston Villa on Saturday. The England striker appeared for 59 minutes of a reserve-team friendly match against Newcastle Blue Star on Monday night.

Owen suffered a minor tear to a thigh during preseason and missed his club’s opening-day victory away to Bolton last weekend. Should his come-back continue successfully, he will hope for a place on the substitutes’ bench for the evening kick-off against Villa and may still be selected for England’s friendly fixture against Germany at Wembley a week today.

Another player yet to experience competitive football for Newcastle is Joey Barton, their £5.8 million summer signing from Manchester City, who suffered a metatarsal injury last month. Yet the midfield player, encumbered by crutches and still troubled by off-field issues, was present at the Reebok Stadium to witness his new side’s impressive 3-1 win. He is itching to repay the club’s loyalty.

“I was in a bit of discomfort at the game because of my injury, but I wanted to come to support the lads and show that we are all in this together as a squad,” Barton said. “I just wanted to be about the place with the rest of the lads because sometimes you do not feel part of it when you are injured. And it was great. I have to say that we were a different class against Bolton and in a lot of aspects of our play we were brilliant.

“I know it’s not going to happen, but I would love to be out there playing with them next week. To tell the truth, I was gutted not to be playing at Bolton. I’ve won there a lot and scored a goal or two, and it’s one of my favourite grounds. When we were driving to the ground, I was telling my mate what I would have been doing – like having a cup of tea and reading the programme, then having a rub-down and getting my kit on. He had to say, ‘hold on, you are not playing’.

“Actually, I am all right when I am playing but I am a bad and nervous watcher. But having said that, I was jumping up and down every time we scored.”