Rolando Aarons is our 'top target' reveals Championship chairman

The 24-year-old was heavily linked with a move to the Yorkshire club in the latter stages of the transfer window, but an agreement for the player collapsed at the eleventh hour.

Carlos Corberan’s men also parted company with star asset Karlan Grant shortly before the transfer deadline passed, with the forward leaving for Premier League outfit West Brom.

That exit leaves Town looking somewhat short in attacking areas, but Hodgkinson has insisted the club are still heavily interested in the Magpies talent.

He told Yorkshire Live: “I think we want to make sure we’re signing the right players that make us better and we believed that Rolando would do that.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t get it done and that’s life and it happens, but we still are confident that he’s the right player, so rather than bringing someone in at the last minute or bringing in someone else…he’s our top target, he remains so, and what we’d rather do is get through the next 10 weeks to January and get it done then rather than bring in somebody that maybe doesn’t tick all the boxes Rolando did.

“It’s frustrating for us, it’s frustrating for everyone, but it does happen.”

Aarons has struggled to make an impact on the first team picture in the north east in recent seasons, and has spent time out on loan with Motherwell, Wycombe Wanderers, and Sheffield Wednesday, among others.