Former Newcastle United defender Steve Howey has called on the club to sign a striker before the transfer window shuts.

Magpies boss Alan Pardew recently revealed that he is keen to add a forward to his squad before the September 2 deadline, and Howey thinks that the move will be beneficial to the club.

"I think they'd like to see another striker come in the door, that's something that hopefully will be done before the window shuts," Howey told The Mirror.

"A big player coming in boosts the group as well as the fans. I think a player does that to the group. We've still got a very good team, with Loic Remy on top of it. We lost Demba Ba and got the other guys in in January. I still think one more would be the perfect scenario.

"If it doesn't [happen], like anything in life, we're going to have to get on with it with what we've got. It's our objective to finish top 10, and I hope we can finish top five. That will be tough, but I'm confident."

Newcastle meet West Ham United in their next Premier League game on Saturday.