Palace winger Townsend looking for Newcastle return – reports

Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend is hopeful that he can return to Newcastle United in January, according to reports.

The Magpies sold the England international to Palace in the summer for £13million after they were relegated from the Premier League.

The Guardian claims that Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez is similarly keen to do a deal while Sam Allardyce is ready to lose Townsend.

However, it’s understood that Palace’s desire to recoup all of their money straight away could be the stumbling block, as the Geordies want to loan the 25-year-old for the rest of the season with a view to a permanent deal.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley isn’t thought to be willing to bankroll a huge spend this window with the club already nicely placed to gain promotion from the Championship.

One compromise could be that a £3million installment due this month from Palace could turn into a loan fee for Townsend, with Newcastle paying a further £10million to sign the winger permanently in the summer.