Newcastle, Bolton and Portsmouth are battling for the January signing of Ghana hardman Laryea Kingston.

The 26-year-old plays for Lokomotiv Moscow but missed the World Cup after getting a four-match ban for being sent off at the African Nations Cup back in January.

According to the Daily Mirror, Newcastle are the most likely to employ his services.

Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder, who will be given a war chest by club chairman Freddy Shepherd, sees Kingston as the ideal man to give his midfield more bite.

The midfielder only moved to Moscow last January after a short spell with FC Terek of Chechnya.

Scouts will run the rule over him in next week's Ghana-Australia friendly at QPR.