Hamburg eying surprise swoop for Newcastle star Joey Barton

Joey Barton

The Magpies are struggling to agree terms with the sprightly midfielder.

Joey Barton is a transfer target for Bundesliga outfit Hamburg as talks with Newcastle United on a contract extension fail to progress.

According to the Daily Mail, Barton agreed to take a pay cut in order to prolong his St. James' Park stay by three seasons, but Newcastle are only willing to offer the player a two-year deal.

While tough-tackling Barton's contract runs for another 18 months, Hamburg and Aston Villa are closely monitoring the situation.