04.08.2014 19:55 h

Newcastle set to swoop for Forest duo

Jamaal Lescelles
Jamaal Lescelles

Newcastle are set to make a double swoop for highly-rated Nottingham Forest duo Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow.

Forest manager Stuart Pearce revealed on Monday that the deal will see both players remain at the Championship club for the 2014-15 season as part of a loan arrangement.

Central defender Lascelles, 20, and goalkeeper Darlow, 23, have been tracked by several Premier League teams, with Newcastle winning the race to secure their signatures after reportedly agreeing to pay Forest a combined fee in the region of £5 million ($8 million).

Former England Under-21 coach Pearce, who spent two years at Newcastle towards the end of his playing career, only last week insisted that none of his Forest youngsters would be sold unless it was right for the club.

But he told the Nottingham Post that his club's Kuwaiti owners had decided to cash in on the pair against his advice.

"We had an offer from Newcastle, that I was made aware of last week, in regards to the two players going there," Pearce said.

"The figures that were mentioned, by the representative of our club - I said I would not do that deal, when I was asked the question.

"I thought I could push their value up and that they would be worth more in the long run.

"The first I heard today about things was when Jamaal Lascelles came in and told me that he had a medical at 2pm at Newcastle. That disappointed me greatly."

The acquisitions of Lascelles and Darlow take Newcastle manager Alan Pardew's number of new signings up to nine, following Facundo Ferreyra, Siem de Jong, Daryl Janmaat, Emmanual Riviere, Jack Colback, Ayoze Perez and Remy Cabella.