Exclusive: Spanish club in advanced talks to sign Newcastle United forward

Newcastle United striker Yoshinori Muto is in advanced talks to join Eibar on loan, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.

The 28-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at St. James' Park and will be allowed to leave this summer in search of regular first team football.

A recruitment source has told Football Insider that the Japanese forward is close to agreeing a loan move to La Liga's Eibar.

Muto, who was signed from Mainz for a £9.5million fee in 2018, has two years remaining on his contract on Tyneside.

He has scored twice in 28 appearances for the Magpies but has struggled for game time since Steve Bruce was appointed Rafael Benitez's successor.

The versatile striker only made 10 appearances across all competitions last season, in part due to a hip injury suffered in January, and featured predominantly as a substitute.

The arrival of Callum Wilson, who scored on debut against West Ham last night, means that the Japan international is surplus to requirements at Newcastle.

When speaking on Muto's future earlier this week, Magpies boss Steve Bruce said: "Yoshi is a smashing lad. It hasn’t gone as well for him as I’m sure he'd have liked but he’s the ultimate pro.

"He probably needs to go somewhere and play. It's not healthy that he’s not going to be involved."

Bruce currently has a wealth of strikers at his disposal with Wilson and Andy Carroll picked to lead the line against the Hammers yesterday.

Goals from Wilson and fellow new signing Jeff Hendrick were enough for the Magpies to leave London with all three points.

If a loan move can be agreed Muto would become the second Newcastle player to move to La Liga on a temporary basis this summer.

On Friday, centre-back Florian Lejeune completed a season-long loan move to Deportivo Alaves.

In other Newcastle United news, Whelan drops bold transfer claim after flurry of deals are completed.