
Newcastle will face competition from Stuttgart, Fiorentina and Inter Milan to sign Austria international Aleksandar Dragovic, according to sources in Switzerland.
The 21-year-old came through the ranks at Austria Wien before earning a move to Basel in February 2011.
He has gone from strength to strength in the Swiss League - he featured twice against Manchester United in the Champions League last season - and has attracted admiring glances from several sides across the continent.
The centre-back, who is of Serbian descent, is valued at £5.5m, but Newcastle boss Alan Pardew will have to act fast to secure his signature as Inter Milan, Fiorentina and Stuttgart are all looking to tempt the 21-year-old away from the Swiss champions.