Recently by Neil Farrington
LEEDS have told striker Jermaine Beckford he CAN leave for Newcastle - as soon as they sign a replacement for him.
And, although the two clubs have NOT yet held serious talks over a deal, Beckford is hopeful he will be a Newcastle player by next weekend.
The Magpies are willing to pay £1.5 million for Beckford, who is out of contract at Elland Road at the end of the season.
And while reports have suggested Leeds are ready to hold out for £2.5 million for their 19-goal hit man, informed sources have told the Sunday Sun that they will settle for less.
EUROPEAN giants Bayern Munich and Juventus have joined the queue of top clubs trailing Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul.
Having watched Krul in action for Holland's Under-21 side, both Bayern and Juve have looked into his situation at St James's Park, where he is understudy to Magpies' No 1 Steve Harper.
With several Premier League big guns and the three top sides in his native Holland also interested, United face having to fend off bids for Krul in the January transfer window.
FORMER Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd has blasted the critics who insist he should never have signed Toon flop Michael Owen.
Owen joined the Magpies for a club record £16m in 2005 after Shepherd engineered what was widely seen at the time as an audacious swoop on Real Madrid.
But Owen's imminent departure from St James's Park after just 58 Premier League starts in four seasons at Newcastle has prompted some to ridicule Shepherd's judgement.
NEWCASTLE defender David Edgar is poised to join newly-promoted Burnley.
The versatile Edgar, unhappy with the terms of a new contract offer at St James's Park, had held talks with another club moving up from the Championship, Birmingham City.
But with discussions at St Andrews having stalled, Burnley boss Owen Coyle has moved in for the 22-year-old.
THE FUTURE of Newcastle United - and Alan Shearer - should finally move closer to being decided on Friday.
Sources in London have confirmed to the Chronicle that decisive movement on Mike Ashley's attempt to sell the Magpies is finally expected at the end of the working week.
And Shearer has been made aware of imminent developments which may belatedly hasten his permanent appointment as Newcastle manager.
SUNDERLAND are considering rubbing salt in Newcastle fans' relegation wounds - by making a move for Habib Beye.
New Black Cats boss Steve Bruce is eyeing the popular and versatile defender, as are Everton, West Ham and Stoke.
Although he is one of the players Alan Shearer most wants to keep when - or if - he gets the Newcastle manager's job full time, Beye's future is up in the air because of the stalemate at St James' Park.
THE agonising waiting game over Alan Shearer's future at Newcastle looks set to drag on over the weekend.
It had been hoped that today would bring confirmation that the Geordie legend is to take on the United manager's job full-time.
FREDDY SHEPHERD has hit back at Sir John Hall over his former Newcastle boardroom ally's defence of Mike Ashley.
In the wake of United's shock relegation, Shepherd accused his fellow former United chairman of not checking Ashley's credentials before selling his stake in the club to the sportswear tycoon.
Hall rallied round beleaguered Newcastle owner Ashley earlier this week, insisting he had bought the club "for the right reasons" and not "as a toy".
But Shepherd, who reluctantly sold his stake in United to Ashley only after the Hall family had triggered the then billionaire's takeover by selling him their own, larger shareholding, is far less forgiving.
The then United chairman was in hospital with pneumonia and a collapsed lung when Ashley bought the Halls' 41.6% Magpies' stake for £55.3m.
Had he not been seriously ill, Shepherd has always maintained he would have fought Ashley's bid to buy the club outright.
NEWCASTLE face a dilemma over the future of £10m flop Fabricio Coloccini.
United's top brass want to get the Argentine international - a massive disappointment during his maiden season in England - off the wage bill.
However, they are just as keen to recoup a decent slice - as much as £7m - of the barely conceivable fee they paid for Coloccini only last August.
Atletico Madrid and Sevilla have been linked with the 27-year-old, who made his name in Spain with Deportivo La Coruna.
But Sevilla's sporting director Ramon Rodriguez Monchi has admitted they are unlikely to make a move for Coloccini.
And with Argentine club San Lorenzo having been scared off by his price tag and probable wage demands, the Magpies have been sounded out about the possibility of loaning Coloccini out to Fiorentina.
MIKE ASHLEY is once again hawking Newcastle United around Dubai as he bids to drum up more Arab interest in a Toon takeover.
The Chronicle has learned that Keith Harris, the man Ashley hopes will find a buyer for United, is in Dubai talking to would-be investors.
Recent Comments
"Sam Allardyce was sacked because he could not pick a team to be Derby.....now we have CH picking Lov..."
"I don't believe a word that lamear*e & fat tw*t say. The sooner they sell up and get lost the better..."
"im sorry like but my eyes must have fell out of my head when i watched the barnsley game! when did w..."
"He's well and truly over the hill,havn't we had enough of that in the past??some fools will never le..."
"Hmmm......"
"To be honest Shepherd has got quite a nerve !!! Where has he been for the last few months, whilst Mo..."
"I agree, why not turn up and ‘verbally chin’ the well fed and cerebrally redundant owner as he leads..."
"Nice of him to appreciate us, unfortunately it is the main reason that Ashley can continue running t..."
"Out of the next six games four are at home ,so no need to panic ...."
"How can CH be considered for the managers job. In the course of 4 days he chooses Harewood & Lovenkr..."