Report: Crystal Palace's Townsend keen on Newcastle return

Andros Townsend's head has been turned by the advances of his former club Newcastle United, but Crystal Palace is looking to recoup the £13 million it paid the Magpies for the winger only last summer.

Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez matches Townsend's enthusiasm over a potential deal and is encouraged by Sam Allardyce's openness to letting the 25-year-old leave, but the Guardian's Louise Taylor reports the Tyneside club may have to revise its offer of a loan with a view to buy at the end of the season.

The Eagles would apparently prefer a permanent transaction now, thereby giving Allardyce more money to spend in the January transfer window as he looks to drag his new club from the relegation mire. Crystal Palace is currently out of the bottom three on goal difference, and has scored just three goals in Allardyce's six matches at the helm.

Newcastle made a host of costly signings in the summer as it tries to engineer an immediate return to the Premier League under Benitez, who guided Liverpool to the Champions League title in 2005. Townsend would offer competition on the flanks to £12-million man Matt Ritchie, Yoan Gouffran, and Christian Atsu, who's on loan from Chelsea and currently with Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Should the clubs reach a consensus on the Townsend negotiations, it will be a prompt return for the 13-time England international, who's believed to regret his summer move to Croydon.

It would leave Allardyce short of options on the wings, though. Jeffrey Schlupp was picked up from Leicester City for around £12 million last week, but both Wilfried Zaha and Bakary Sako are away on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ivory Coast and Ghana, respectively.