Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is hopeful Mathieu Debuchy can give the Magpies the much-needed impetus, after as good as confirming the arrival of the French international from Lille.
Debuchy was Newcastle's number one target in the summer, but a move failed to materialize before the start of the season.
However, a fee was finally agreed with Lille, with Debuchy watching from the stands at St James' Park on Wednesday, as Newcastle crashed to another defeat against Everton.
Pardew confirmed all that remained to complete the signing of the right-back was the medical.
"Signing Mathieu Debuchy is just a question of the medical really," Pardew said.
"He has quality and experience and that is what we missed tonight. Those key moments are costing us.
"A player of his quality and stature will boost everybody -- our senior players, our staff, everybody.
"Defensively, we are so short. We need some defenders and that is what I have given as my message to the board."
Leighton Baines was the standout player for Everton against Newcastle, and Pardew wants Debuchy to have the same effect on his team.
"I hear the discussions have gone well on the finance side," Pardew added.
"He's a player that we would have really needed tonight and could have made a difference tonight.
"Look at Leighton Baines tonight, take him out of Everton's side, we might have won the game and that's the sort of quality he is."
Newcastle are also hoping to complete the signing of Loic Remy from Marseille, with the Magpies also linked with moves for West Ham forward Modibo Maiga and Peter Odemwingie of West Brom.
Newcastle are desperate to add to their frontline after confirming that Demba Ba was on his way to Chelsea, with the Blues matching the striker's buyout clause of £7 million ($11 million).
Meanwhile, Swansea might have a fight on their hands to keep Michu at the Liberty Stadium, with financial powerhouses Zenit St. Petersburg and Anzhi Makhachala keeping a close eye on the Spanish forward, according to the Daily Mail.
Michu, signed for just £2 million ($3.2 million), has been a revelation in the English Premier League this season, which in turn has alerted the two Russian clubs.
