NEWCASTLE UNITED rejected an approach for Ayoze Perez in order to ensure they retained all of their leading assets on a quiet transfer deadline day at St James’ Park.

However, while the Magpies opted not to make a last-minute push for Charlie Austin, who will remain at QPR despite last season’s relegation, they are expected to make a renewed effort to sign the striker for a reduced fee when the transfer window reopens in January.

With no last-minute arrivals yesterday in the wake of a summer spending spree that already stretched to around £48m, the Magpies’ only deals before the transfer window closed were the £1m sale of midfielder Olivier Kemen to French side Lyon and the exit of Haris Vuckic on a season-long loan to Wigan Athletic.

Kemen left without having made a single senior appearance in a Newcastle shirt, while Vuckic moved to Wigan a matter of hours after signing a new one-year contract with the Magpies, but fears the club might lose one of their first-team regulars were allayed at an early stage of proceedings.

Perez was the subject of some early-morning interest from Tottenham, with a senior White Hart Lane official making contact to raise the possibility of a bid that could have been worth around £15m once add-ons and clauses were taken into account.

The approach was immediately rebuffed, however, with senior Newcastle sources insisting the club would not be considering any offers for Perez, who cost just £1.5m when he moved from Tenerife last summer.

The 22-year-old is regarded as a key part of Steve McClaren’s plans, and the Magpies were not tempted to cash in despite their extensive summer outlay.

Similarly, there were no moves for Moussa Sissoko, Cheick Tiote or Papiss Cisse, who were all linked with possible transfers away from Tyneside last month. The trio all remain on Newcastle’s books, a situation that will delight McClaren, who publicly stated his desire to retain all of his senior players last week.

Having already signed Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Chancel Mbemba, Florian Thauvin and Ivan Toney, Newcastle’s recruitment team were not in the market for another addition yesterday.

They might have been tempted into a late offer for Austin if QPR had signalled a willingness to halve their £15m asking price, but that did not happen and the England international will remain at Loftus Road for at least the first half of the season.

Given that he has already entered the final year of his current deal, his future is bound to be the subject of considerable debate again come January, and Newcastle are likely to be one of a number of clubs re-entering the market come the turn of the year.

Concerns over Austin’s injury record meant the Magpies were unwilling to go anywhere near the £15m price tag that Tony Fernandes stuck to so rigidly this summer, but January represents the QPR owner’s final chance to cash in on his club’s leading asset and Newcastle will rekindle their interest if the fee is reduced and the striker continues to prove his fitness over the course of the next four months.