Barreca is one of three Newcastle signings that the club are looking to complete on deadline day, with the defender undergoing his medical on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old has been spotted at the club’s training ground ahead of his switch from the Ligue 1 club, with the deal set to be completed before the 11pm GMT deadline.
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The defender is likely to slot straight in to the Newcastle defence ready for Saturday’s game against Spurs at Wembley.
He looks set to take a berth in the starting 11 alongside fellow Toon defenders Jamaal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark as the club look to secure Premier League survival.
The Magpies have a five-point cushion between themselves and Cardiff City in the relegation zone, but with 14 games still left to go relegation remains a realistic possibility.
Rafa Benitez will be pleased to finally add some defensive additions to a side which has been susceptible to conceding goals this season.
Under his management, the North East club have kept just one clean sheet since Christmas while also conceding two against Championship side Blackburn in the FA Cup.
Their leaky defence also cost them FA Cup elimination at the weekend, which saw them beaten 2-0 at home by Watford.
While Barreca hasn’t played since November, he has experience playing Champions League football this season which will no doubt prove vital if he is to be successful for the Toon.
The Italy Under-21 international can also be utilised as winger, but is being brought in primarily to provide defensive reinforcements for the rest of the campaign.
He looks set to be the first signing Newcastle announce on the final day of the January transfer window.
The Magpies are also likely to bring in midfielder Miguel Almiron from Atlanta to help improve the side as an attacking unit.
The Paraguay international is poised to join the club for a new record fee of £20 million after also undergoing his medical on Wednesday.
Benitez is also keen to bring in Benfica midfielder Andreas Samaris on loan until the season’s end as well.
The Spanish boss is a known admirer of the Greek international having tried to bring him to the club in the summer.
However, the 29-year-old faces a race against time to complete his switch to the North East club with just hours to go until the deadline.
Newcastle’s next fixture is against is against Tottenham on Saturday before a trip to Molineux to face Wolves on February 11.
Early deadline day done deal…
The first move on deadline day was done just after 10am when Wolves completed the permanent signing of Jonny Otto from Atletico Madrid for what is understood to be a club-record £18million fee.
Jonny, who has made 22 appearances on loan in the first half of the season, has agreed a permanent deal at Molineux until 2023.
“I’m very happy to sign for Wolves,” the 24-year-old told the official club website.
“The last few days we spoke about it and now it’s official, I’ll be Wolves for the next four years.
“I’m really happy to continue to be involved with the team. I am very happy here, the truth is that it was very easy to decide.”