Pardew won't sign striker

The Sochaux star was poised to join the Magpies after agreeing a deal but the move collapsed at the last minute when he failed a medical.

With striking ace Demba Ba set to leave Tyneside to represent Senegal at the African Cup of Nations in January, and Leon Best having failed to score since September, it appears Pardew will be left short of options up front in the New Year.

But the Magpies boss says he is not looking elsewhere for a striker after losing out on Maiga.

"I don't think we'll be bringing a striker in in this window after the collapse of Maiga, which we put a lot of work into," he told a press conference on Sky Sports News.

"I think, as far as we're concerned, we'll go with what we've got.

"You have to pay over the odds in this window, everybody does, and you have to accept that if you're going to invest in this window. But we won't be in terms of a striker."

No strategy

Pardew, who confirmed Newcastle could instead strengthen their defensive options next month, insists there was no hidden agenda behind Maiga's failed medical in terms of trying to lower his price.

"It wasn't a strategy to do that from us. It was just unfortunate," he added.

"Unfortunate for the player - you can imagine he's probably more disappointed than anybody else.

"But these things happen and we'll have to do a lot of work now between now and the summer to locate another striker."

The manager insists Newcastle will have to make the best of the situation when Ba, who has netted 14 goals this season as the Premier League's second-top scorer, departs for Africa.

"It will be a loss because he's in great form, of course," he said.

"We accepted that was going to happen when we signed him, that the Africa Nations Cup was coming up. We just get on with it."