Remy: Newcastle have reached an agreement in principle to sign striker Loic Remy from Marseille. The 26-year-old forward has been linked with a number of clubs, but Marseille president Vincent La-brune has now indicated that the Magpies are close to clinching his signature. “We have an agreement in principle with Newcastle, it is true,” Labrune said. “We have therefore given Loic permission to chat with them.”

Barnsley: David Flitcroft has been handed the Barnsley manager’s job on a permanent basis. Flitcroft was appointed caretaker boss following Keith Hill’s departure and after defeat at fellow strugglers Peterborough in his first game in charge, the Tykes have clinched back-to-back victories. A late goal saw off Burnley in the FA Cup and on Saturday they won their first home league match since September 1 with a 2-0 win over Leeds.

Pabon: Parma striker Dorlan Pabon, who rarely made a showing for the Serie A club this season, is in advanced negotiations to move to La Liga’s Espanyol. The 24-year-old Colombian arrived in Italy last summer but struggled to make an impact at Parma. He signed a five-year contract with Parma following his move from Nacional.

McLeish: Alex McLeish claimed his first victory as Nottm Forest manager with a 2-1 win against Peterborough but insisted he still needs to be more active in the January transfer window to put the club in the promotion frame. The result guides Forest to within three points of the play-offs but McLeish said: “It’s no secret that we are still looking to bolster the squad and if we are going to have a real go at the play-offs we need three or four players to come through the door.”

O’Brien: West Ham have confir-med defender Joey O’Brien has signed a new contract to keep him at the club until 2016. O’Brien played under Sam Allardyce at Bolton and was brought to Upton Park by the Hammers boss in 2011.