Bellamy no closer to St James’ Park exit

Damian Spellman

Both Everton and Celtic have been given permission to talk to the 25-year-old Welshman with Aston Villa also making a concerted effort to lure him to the midlands and Blackburn maintaining an interest.

Villa boss David O'Leary is due back from his summer break today and will attempt to persuade Bellamy that his salvation lies in Birmingham, while it is understood he has some misgivings about the Everton option after his talks with David Moyes.

However, with all at St James' Park awaiting developments, there has been little progress with the clock ticking on the player's belated return to the north-east next Monday.

The belief around St James' is that, of the current suitors, the Toffees are best placed to make him a suitable offer, but in a buyer's market, the Magpies are having to sweat it out knowing that, if there is no successful conclusion to the ongoing talks, the former Norwich and Coventry frontman will end up back on Tyneside a scenario that manager Graeme Souness simply does not want.

He has insisted that Bellamy will never play for him again and as a result, he desperately needs to find at least one and probably two new strikers before the start of the new campaign.

However, without the cash that his sale and the subsequent easing of pressure on the wage bill that it would bring, they cannot commit themselves to some of the major signings they hope to make.

Newcastle yesterday became the latest club to be linked with a possible loan move for Manchester United's Louis Saha as he attempts to fight his way back into form.

The Frenchman spent a brief spell on loan at St James' from Metz under Ruud Gullit in 1998, but the club baulked at the £2million asking price and he later joined Fulham before making his £12.8million move to Old Trafford in January last year.

A loan deal would provide a short-term solution with Souness having been rebuffed by Saha's team-mate Alan Smith.

Newcastle are also being thwarted in their efforts to tie up a deal for former Inter Milan player Emre Belozoglu despite believing they were almost there several weeks ago.

The Turkish international remains confident he will be playing in the Barclays Premiership next season, although his destination remains a mystery.

"My priority is to play in Europe," he said.

"I am most likely to play in England."

Newcastle have denied that they have been snubbed by Belgian international defender Daniel van Buyten after he announced that he will be staying with German club Hamburg.

Meanwhile, Sunderland have signed teenage midfielder Martin Woods on a free transfer from Leeds.

The 19-year-old Scottish-born player, a sixth summer signing for Mick McCarthy, made just one appearance for Leeds last season in a 3-2 Coca-Cola Championship win against the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light.