Manager Steve McClaren has confirmed that Newcastle United are on the brink of signing Georginio Wijnaldum from PSV Eindhoven.
Speculation is rife that the Magpies have agreed a £15m deal for the Netherlands international, with the 24-year-old undergoing a medical on Friday.
McClaren knows the player well from his time in the Eredivisie, and he hopes that Wijnaldum will trouble English sides with the same menace he showed against his FC Twente teams.
"There's no secret. He has been seen around the place, he's having a medical and all the scans that go with it," he told reporters.
"Hopefully we will get the results [on Saturday] and we can announce something. It's not official, it is not over the line.
"I know him very well from when I was in Holland. He was a pain at Feyenoord and for PSV against my teams. He brings great quality and can play in any position in midfield. His physicality is good, tempo good. He will be a good player in the Premier League."
Wijnaldum has 19 Netherlands caps after making his debut in 2011.
Shane Callaghan
