The holding midfielder confirmed at the weekend that the Magpies had been successful in a bid for his services.
It now appears that the switch is nearing a conclusion, with the 23-year-old now in England for a series of medical examinations and discussions over personal terms, according to Sky Sports News.
The Dutch international joined Ajax as a trainee in 1999.
Restore Data
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | PSV EindhovenPSV | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 3 | 17 | 15 |
| 2 | AZ AlkmaarAZ | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 13 | 13 |
| 3 | FC UtrechtUtrecht | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 4 | Groningen | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| 5 | Willem II | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 6 | FC Twente | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| 7 | Ajax | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| 8 | Feyenoord | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| 9 | Sparta RotterdamSparta | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| 10 | NECNijmegen | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| 11 | Fortuna SittardSittard | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 6 |
| 12 | Go Ahead Eagles | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 6 |
| 13 | NAC BredaNAC Breda | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 6 |
| 14 | PEC Zwolle | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 4 |
| 15 | Heerenveen | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 13 | -7 | 4 |
| 16 | Heracles | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 3 |
| 17 | Almere CityAlmere City | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 12 | -10 | 2 |
| 18 | RKC WaalwijkRKC Waalwijk | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 15 | -13 | 0 |
| > Eredivisie Full Table | |||||||||
