Newcastle's club-record £21m move for Saido Berahino in the balance

The relegation-threatened club yesterday made a £21million bid for the West Bromwich Albion striker.

West Brom, however, are reluctant to sell the 22-year-old to Newcastle.

And United’s bid, and their willingness to pay the fee up front and not in instalments, will test the club’s resolve to hold on to a player that has not been starting Premier League games in recent weeks.

Jeremy Peace, West Brom’s chairman, is yet to respond to the bid, which trumps the £16million fee paid for Michael Owen in 2005.

Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in Berahino, and having tried and failed to sign him last summer.

And Berahino’s fate will be decided on deadline day, with deals having to be completed by 11pm tonight.

Berahino was handed a rare start by Tony Pulis in Saturday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie against Peterborough United.

The England Under-21 international scored both West Brom’s goal in a 2-2 draw at The Hawthorns.

Pulis said: “He’s a good player and he can score. Will those be his last goals for the club? We’ll see. That’s the chairman’s decision.”

One incoming move which is expected to go through is the loan signing of AS Roma striker Seydou Doumbia.

The 28-year-old, an Ivory Coast team-mate of Newcastle’s Cheick Tiote, has been on loan at CSKA Moscow this season.

Doumbia underwent a medical over the weekend, and the deal is expected to be completed today.

United, back in Premier League action on Wednesday night when they take on Everton at Goodison Park, are also looking for cover at left-back, but targets Guilherme Siqueira and Lucas Orban have moved elsewhere.

Valencia’s Orban has joined Levante on loan, while Siqueira has moved from Atletico Madrid to Gary Neville’s Valencia.

Meanwhile, United striker Emmanuel Riviere has been linked with a return to France with Lille.

A knee injury has restricted Riviere to just one substitute appearance so far this season.

The 25-year-old joined Newcastle from Monaco for £5million in the summer of 2014.