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Newcastle manager, Glenn Roeder, has turned to Inter Milan striker, Obafemi Martins, after being warned off Germany forward, Miroslav Klose.
Newcastle manager, Glenn Roeder, has turned to Inter Milan striker, Obafemi Martins, after being warned off Germany forward, Miroslav Klose.
The Magpies are understood to have opened negotiations with the Italian club for the Nigerian, after receiving assurances about his age.
But the move comes after Werder Bremen told the Tyneside club to forget trying to land World Cup star, Klose.
Roeder said: "Werder Bremen are in the Champions League again this season, and they have made it clear that Klose is not for sale."
Newcastle chairman, Freddy Shepherd, is now ready to talk to Inter as he attempts to secure a replacement for Alan Shearer, and Martins himself seems keen to head for England.
The 21-year-old told BBC Sport: "I'm close to moving to Newcastle, despite all the initial setbacks. Eighty per cent of the deal with Newcastle is completed.
"Playing in the Premiership has been a long-term ambition and I am extremely delighted with the prospect of concluding that in the next couple of days."
However, it is understood there is a major discrepancy between the personal terms Martins wants and what his prospective employers are prepared to pay.
Shepherd may have more cash to play with should misfit Jean-Alain Boumsong complete a proposed £4.5million move to Juventus.
The 26-year-old, an £8million signing from Rangers, was in Turin, Monday, with a view to completing a transfer to the club relegated over the Italian match-fixing scandal.
Boumsong was signed by former boss, Graeme Souness in January last year, but has endured a disastrous spell at St James' Park, and while he went to the World Cup finals with France, he did not make it onto the pitch.
He was not even on the bench for Saturday's Barclays Premiership clash with Wigan.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Shay Given has promised there was much, much more to come from Roeder's only signing to date, Damien Duff.
The 27-year-old winger was asked to play as an auxiliary striker off Shola Ameobi in the 2-1 win over Paul Jewell's men, and had a major hand in the victory with a deft flick to set up the winning goal.
However, Given, who has seen former Chelsea star, Duff, at close hand during their time together with the Republic of Ireland, is confident the best is yet to come.
Given said: "He played long periods of the game up front or pushed on more, and it's not really his favourite position.
"But he did it for the team. It was all about the team and not about individuals, and it should be like that every Saturday.
"He did well, he showed some flashes, but there is still a lot more to come from him."
Roeder is sweating on the fitness of Ameobi, defenders Craig Moore and Celestine Babayaro and midfielder Nicky Butt, ahead Thursday night's UEFA Cup qualifying clash with Latvian side, Ventspils.
Moore and Babayaro both picked up what the manager hopes are relatively minor knocks, while Butt suffered a migraine attack after a clash of heads and was unable to continue.
However, it is match-winner Ameobi's fitness, which will be the major concern with the club's only out-and-out striker nursing hip and hamstring problems.
Given said: "Shola came off injured, so I don't know how that is. It was hard for him up front on his own, but he did well and made it difficult for them (Wigan).
"Sometimes he was flicking it on and there was no one there beside him and that's always hard, to play up front on your own.
"But he did a very good job and he was rewarded with the goal. Shola is a very good player."