Charlton link puts Bowyer’s Toon future in doubt

LEE BOWYER’S future at Newcastle has been thrown into doubt again by claims that former club Charlton are ready to make a £1.5million bid to take him back to The Valley.

Both the Magpies and Bowyer's representatives yesterday insisted that they have heard nothing from the Addicks, but there is little doubt that with manager Graeme Souness having a surplus of central midfielders and desperate to cut the club's wage bill before moving for new recruits, they could be ready to listen to offers.

The 28-year-old pulled out of a move to Birmingham last month following protests from a section of the City support.

Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd insisted at the time that they had not been touting the midfielder around and had simply responded to a request from Birmingham to be allowed to talk to him, while Souness has in the past expressed his desire to hold on to him.

However, with £6.5million Scott Parker having been added to a pool of players which includes Bowyer, Kieron Dyer, Nicky Butt, Jermaine Jenas, Amdy Faye and the returning Hugo Viana all competing for the two central berths and the club still pursuing Inter's Emre Belozoglu, at least one departure is inevitable.

Birmingham were this week linked with a fresh bid for Butt, whom they tried to sign before his move to St James' Park, after ending their interest in Bowyer, but Newcastle will listen to offers for several of those men.

They have issued a hands-off message over Jenas and are hoping to extend Dyer's existing contract, while Parker and Faye are Souness signings.

Viana is due back on Tyneside next Monday and has vowed to fight for his place after seeing proposed moves to Sporting Lisbon, where he spent last season on loan, Benfica and Porto fall through, although the club would sell their £8.5million signing if they received a respectable offer.

Aston Villa manager David O'Leary is expected to step up his efforts to sign unwanted Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy in the next few days.

Villa returned to pre-season training yesterday with Bellamy still very much at the forefront of O'Leary's mind.

The Wales international is attracting strong interest from Everton, who held talks with Bellamy over the weekend and can offer the carrot of Champions League football if they survive a qualifying round.

And Celtic, where Bellamy spent the second half of last season on loan, and Blackburn are also in the hunt for the controversial striker.

But sources close to Villa suggest O'Leary still believes he has as good a chance as anyone of bringing in a player who has been one of his top summer targets along with Manchester City defender Sylvain Distin.

It is understood Bellamy's wage demands of £50,000 a week could prove a stumbling block for Everton and there have been suggestions he may have to play in a wide role under David Moyes something he is not particularly enamoured with.