Now that rumours surrounding Alan Pardew's future as Newcastle have been quelled the Magpies are now pressing ahead with their summer recruitment plans - and it's understood they've already got one player in the bag. That is the news coming from Luke Edwards in the Telegraph this morning who says "the club believe they will be able to announce the first of several new signings in the next few days and expect to have the majority of their recruitment done before the World Cup." After being deprived of a permanent signing across two transfer windows scepticism will naturally run wild. However, should it prove to be true, it will prove a tangible step towards strengthening a squad that is poised to be stripped of its fringe contingent during pre-season. Attention is now bound to be focused on unearthing the identity of our reported acquisition with the likely candidate to be Lyon striker Bafetimibi Gomis, who is soon to be a free agent when his contract expires at the Stade de Gerland. Gomis was close to joining Newcastle last summer and it was rumoured that he would join the club in the summer after penning on a pre-contract agreement in January - a claim he strenuously denied. "I have not signed any pre-contract with anyone," said Gomis, speaking to French newspaper L'Equipe. However, it's possible that new managing director Lee Charnley has succeeded where predecessor Joe Kinnear by persuading the 28-year-old to make the move to St James' Park when his deal runs out in France. Suppose we'll just have to wait with baited breath.