Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton has expressed an interest in signing former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell when the veteran sorts out his legal dispute with former club Notts County.

Campbell, 35, is still locked in a court battle with the Magpies following his spectacular exit from the ambitious League Two outfit in September after making just one appearance for the club.

The former England stopper signed a five-year deal worth an esimated £10million with County only three weeks prior to his departure, but left claiming promises made to him over player recruitment were broken.

Campbell is now engaged in a battle with the club over the terms of his split, but hopes to resolve the issue, which currently prevents him from registering from another club until the New Year.

And it could be a case of swapping one Magpies for another, as Newcastle boss Hughton has hinted that he would be interested in offering the defender a return to football at the resolution of his current legal issues.

"It's one that I wouldn't rule out, he's a player who will go somewhere at some stage, and he will get a lot of offers. But we won't rule him out of coming here," he is quoted as saying on AFP.

"I don't expect him to go anywhere at the moment, but he will be playing somewhere. I don't expect that to be until after Christmas.

"He has still got a lot to offer the game. He's already been at Notts County, but he only played one game so he hasn't played a lot of football.

"Wherever he goes, it will be on the back of that one game, but he has stated a desire to carry on playing, so it is one that possibly might happen."