£12m won’t buy Jenas, warns Souness, as Gunners eye up Toon ace

Damian Spellman

Patrick Vieira's move to Juventus will leave a huge hole at the heart of Arsene Wenger's side and the Magpies have thrown down the gauntlet.

However, the whole situation is steeped in intrigue with the Tyneside club ready to launch a bid to bring Sol Campbell to St James' Park, and while they were bullish in public, their need for an experienced stopper in the wake of Titus Bramble's elbow fracture could well force them to at least consider a sizeable offer.

"If we were to sell Jermaine, which is the last thing on my mind, it would have to be for a lot more money than Patrick Vieira is being sold for because he is 22 years old and he has the potential to be one of the best midfield players in the world," Souness said.

"He maybe does not have the aggression that Patrick Vieira has, but he has certainly got the athleticism, technically he is good he is an outstanding player.

"But it would take a lot more than £12million to buy Jermaine Jenas, and I do not think anyone has that kind of money right now."

Chairman Freddy Shepherd went a step further, however, reiterating his determination to keep hold of the youngster for whom he paid Nottingham Forest £5million in February 2002.

"We have had no contact with Arsenal as regards any of our players, not just Jermaine Jenas," he said.

"I can only repeat what has been said on several occasions, and that is that JJ is not for sale."

Newcastle have an abundance of midfielders and have added the signings of Scott Parker and Emre Souness confirmed yesterday that the 24-year-old has completed his move from Inter Milan but there is nowhere near the same scramble for starting berths at the back, where Bramble's absence for up to three months and the departures of Aaron Hughes and Andy O'Brien have left Jean-Alain Boumsong as the only experienced central defender in the squad.

The Magpies have once again been linked with Birmingham's Matthew Upson, who has been a target in the past, but they are currently testing the water to see if there is any chance of prising 30-year-old Campbell away from Arsenal with Swiss Philippe Senderos having emerged as a genuine talent in his absence last season.