Newcastle have made an official offer to Atletico Madrid to sign full-back Kieran Trippier.
Trippier is one of Magpies manager Eddie Howe's top targets this month in the club's bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.
Sportsmail revealed last month the England international is prepared to swap LaLiga for a return to the Premier League, with talks over a deal for Trippier have been ongoing since November.
But now the prospective deal has moved to the next stage in the form of an official bid from the Magpies to the Spanish champions, who could lose the 31-year-old on a free in the summer.