Marseille's financial position, shaped by strict budgetary restrictions imposed by French football's finance watchdog the DNCG, has forced the Ligue 1 club to consider selling several of its more valuable players before the transfer window closes.
Hojbjerg, Marseille and Denmark's captain, has emerged as one of the most likely to leave, with Newcastle United identifying the 31-year-old as the ideal candidate to help replace the departed Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes in midfield.
His experience of the Premier League, having previously played for Southampton and Tottenham, is considered a significant asset by Matthias Jaissle's side. Newcastle hope to finalise the transfer this week, in a deal that would allow Marseille to bolster their finances while securing Hojbjerg's return to English football - with Tottenham also understood to stand to benefit financially via a sell-on clause inserted when Hojbjerg left the club for Marseille in 2024, having made 184 appearances for Spurs.
Newcastle's other significant goalkeeping situation concerns Pope, whose position has been squeezed by the arrivals of Lukas Hornicek and Ewen Jaouen this summer, leaving him as effectively third choice behind the pair.
Jaissle has hinted that the 34-year-old's time at St James' Park could be coming to an end, telling reporters after a pre-season win over Valencia: "I had a talk with Nick. I really appreciate what he did in his career so far.
"He knows exactly the situation right now and we need to deal with it in the best possible way, but I always appreciate the player and the human being behind."
Celtic are reported to be monitoring Pope's situation, along with Ipswich, Wolves and Hull City at various points over the summer, though no formal contact between the England international and any interested club has yet been confirmed, with Newcastle said to be seeking a fee in excess of £10m for a player who has entered the final year of his contract.