Newcastle agree terms with Bramble

Newcastle’s move for England Under-21 defender Titus Bramble came a step closer today when the player agreed personal terms.

Ipswich Town have confirmed that the 20-year-old is happy with the Magpies’ offer and is ready to put pen to paper.

However, the deal will not go through until Newcastle’s medical staff are happy that the surgery he had on a troublesome heel injury at the end of last season has been successful.

‘‘Titus Bramble has agreed personal terms with Newcastle and is staying up on Tyneside until the medical team at the St James’ Park club is satisfied that his heel injury has cleared up,’’ the club’s official website, www.itfc.co.uk, reported today.

‘‘Town and Newcastle agreed a fee for the England Under-21 international last week and Titus and his representatives have been in discussions with the Magpies over the past few days.

‘‘Titus had an operation on his heel at the end of the season after being troubled by the injury on and off during the campaign and Newcastle’s medical team have requested a little more time before they give the green light for the deal to be completed.’’

Neither Ipswich nor Newcastle expect Bramble’s fitness to be a lasting issue and it is hoped that the deal, thought to amount to around £6m (€9.35m), will go through long before the deadline for the registration of players for the Champions League.

United have lined up an attractive pre-season friendly against Spanish giants Barcelona at St James’ Park on Wednesday August 7, a week before the first leg of their Champions League qualifier and 12 days before they open their Barclaycard Premiership campaign at home to West Ham.

The feeling is that Bramble will be fit by then for what promises to be a big night for the club.

United and former Barca boss Bobby Robson believes the youngster is just the kind of player he needs to strengthen his defence, both for the present and the future, and is confident that he can build upon the foundations he has laid at his home town club.

He will find himself in direct competition with Nikos Dabizas and Andy O’Brien for a place in the starting line-up, and the Magpies are still being strongly linked with a move for Tenerife’s Argentinian defender Federico Lussenhoff.

Scottish international Steve Caldwell is also waiting in the wings, although the fact that his younger brother Gary was yesterday allowed to go out on a season’s loan to Coventry City is an indication that Robson is confident that he has enough back-up in that department.

The bulk of the United squad were due to return for pre-season training this afternoon, although World Cup stars Shay Given, O’Brien, Kieron Dyer and new signing Hugo Viana will not be back until July 15.