Keegan joins race to land Spurs star Defoe
-
Jermain Defoe is at the centre of a £10million transfer battle between Newcastle and Aston Villa. The 25-year-old is third-choice striker at Tottenham and has been told by coach Juande Ramos he will be allowed to leave White Hart Lane. New Toon boss Kevin Keegan has targeted the unsettled forward after being handed a £25m transfer kitty by owner Mike Ashley.
Defoe's arrival would see him form a potentially lethal partnership with fellow England striker Michael Owen. However, it was reported today that Defoe has already held preliminary talks with Martin O'Neill. The manager was linked with a move for the forward last summer.
A Villa spokesman could “neither confirm or deny” speculation surrounding Defoe's future. However, a source said: “Jermain has been to talk to Villa. The problem now is negotiating a fee and that may prove to be the sticking point.”
O'Neill is keen to bolster his striking options with Luke Moore refusing a new contract, Marlon Harewood failing to make an impact and lingering doubts over John Carew's fitness. -
- Wright Guy ... SWP is keen
JERMAIN DEFOE and Shaun Wright- Phillips were last night queueing up to join Kevin KeeganÂ’s Newcastle revolution.
Tottenham striker Defoe and Chelsea wideman SWP would relish the free- flowing, attacking football that has become a trademark of KeeganÂ’s teams.
New Toon boss Keegan, who has £20million to spend, told players to expect changes.
He said: “If new players are coming in and you are worried about that then you should not be here. You should want good players at this football club.”
Keegan dropped the bombshell to his Toon squad at training yesterday.
A Newcastle insider said: “It wasn’t like a big speech by the manager or anything but it sounded like he would be making a few changes.
“With only a couple of weeks left in the transfer window, he has not really got time to assess what is already there. He has to make some quick decisions.”
Defoe, 25, and Wright-Phillips, 26, are the sort of players Keegan admires although their wage demands and asking prices may be barriers.
But Keegan has been promised the freedom to go for the players he wants most.
Defoe is struggling to establish himself under new Spurs boss Juande Ramos, while Wright-Phillips may relish the chance of guaranteed first-team football. -
Out of Toon? ... Owen could go
GAVIN PEAC.OCK fears Michael Owen is on borrowed time at Newcastle — unless he shows his passion for the club.
Owen, 28, blasted Kevin Keegan in his autobiography and claimed he was a scapegoat for the new Toon manager's dismal reign in charge of England.
Keegan is expected to wipe the slate clean as he bids to revitalise the club during his second spell at St James' Park.
But Peac.ock believes he will not find it easy to forgive and forget when it comes to Owen.
The BBC pundit, who played under Keegan at Newcastle, said: "Kevin's not to be trifled with and I don't think he'll forget.
"Michael was within his rights to say what he did in his book, although he could have kept the comments to himself instead of making them public knowledge.
Pundit... Gavin Peac.ock
"They may well have an adult conversation and say 'that was then, this is now' and move on.
"But Kevin will have to look at Michael and see if he feels the place and really wants to be part of Newcastle.
"If he gets any inkling that Michael's heart is not in it, he'll go."
Out-of-favour Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe is one of a number of players on Keegan's wanted list.
And Peacock feels he would be the perfect man to fire the Magpies up the table.
He added: "When he's fit, there is not a better goalscorer than Michael Owen.
"But Defoe is like an Andy Cole type of player. He's a natural finisher and he needs to be playing.
"When he plays regularly he scores goals, end of story.
"Knowing Kevin, if he's got money to spend and sees a player he wants, he'll go for it.
"I don't think he'll sit back and stick with what he's got.
"If he sees a player who can come in and have an impact, he'll buy him." -
SWP interested ? I Seriously doubt so
if he wanted to leave for any other club he would have done so few years ago instead of fighting so hard over the years for a Chelsea Starting XI