NEWCASTLE United will strengthen in an area of the squad that has been a "concern" for head coach Eddie Howe, with Jacob Ramsey set to be unveiled as the club's fourth signing of the summer.
Ramsey was on Tyneside on Friday putting the finishing touches to his £40m move from Aston Villa, with Howe describing the midfielder as an "outstanding player" after his side's 0-0 draw at Villa Park on Saturday.
The arrival of Ramsey is set to be confirmed in the next 24 hours, with Howe delighted to be bolstering his midfield after the departure of Sean Longstaff to Leeds and the latest injury setback for Joe Willock.
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"It looks like it's getting closer for us but again I've been preparing for the game so I don't know what stage it's at," said Howe of Ramsey on Saturday.
"But he's a player we like. He'll offer a lot more strength in depth in that midfield area, having lost Sean and then Joe Willock to injury.
"That's an area that we've been concerned about through the second half of pre-season.
"Certainly with the amount of games we have this season we know that's not a number we can carry forward. We need more depth and he's an outstanding player."
Howe had "mixed feelings" after his side's opening day draw.
Newcastle were by far the better team in the first half and finished the game on top after the 66th minute dismissal of home defender Ezri Konsa, but couldn't make their dominance count and had to settle for a point.
Howe said: "We're disappointed we didn't win because I thought we deserved to.
"I'm very pleased and proud of the group of players who gave everything and delivered a very strong performance, especially in the first half.
"We were aggressive, everything we wanted to be. Dominant. Just the goals were missing, which is unfortunate timing from our respective, but I couldn't be prouder of the group."