Newcastle are close to signing Andros Townsend from Tottenham, after the clubs agreed a compromise over the fee for the England winger.

Townsend, who has barely featured for Spurs so far this campaign and has played just 64 minutes in the Premier League in total, has been targeted by Newcastle manager Steve McClaren for several weeks, as he seeks to strengthen his squad for the battle against relegation.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy had originally demanded that they pay €18.4 million to secure the 24-year-old and rejected Newcastle's opening offer of €13.1 million earlier this month.

But with Mauricio Pochettino keen to free up space in his squad, the Tottenham manager has intervened to request the club accept a lower bid - understood to be somewhere in the middle of the two clubs' valuations. Levy is believed to have sanctioned the move and now Townsend will discuss personal terms with Newcastle, but is expected to sign for the club in the next 48 hours.

Having been a regular in Roy Hodgson's England squad last season, Townsend was banished from the first team after clashing with the fitness coach Nathan Gardiner and forced to train with the Under-21s.

He has not played for Tottenham’s first team since, and it is now nearly two years since he completed a full Premier League match for the club. Guardian Service