Toon target to cost £3.5m

Newcastle will have to fork out around £3.5million if they want to sign midfielder Mark Davies from relegated Bolton this summer.

The 24-year-old's potential availability has reportedly alerted Magpies chief Alan Pardew ahead of what could be a busy summer of transfer dealings on Tyneside. The Toon boss is clearly aiming to bolster his defensive options, but he is also looking at his midfield with Danny Guthrie very likely to leave. As a result, former Wolves man Davies, who Pardew has been keeping tabs on for most of the season, could be up for grabs as he bids to stay in the Premier League following the Trotters' drop into the Championship on the final day of last season on Sunday. Bolton boss Owen Coyle is desperate to keep Davies at the Reebok Stadium to try and help his side make an immediate return to the top flight, but an offer of £3.5million could be too good for the club to turn down due to the financial hit relegation will bring. If Pardew fails to bring in Davies, it still looks like 25-year-old former Liverpool man, Guthrie, will depart given that he has become disillusioned with a lack of first-team opportunities this past season.