Rumours rise Bowyer may become Magpie

Lee Bowyer’s advisors today confirmed the former Leeds midfielder is in talks with potential new employers amid speculation that a move to Newcastle is close to being tied up.

A spokesman for the ‘Skillequal’ company which handles the 26-year-old’s affairs admitted talks are underway but would not comment further.

“At the moment, Lee is in talks with a couple of clubs,” he said.

However, reports in the north-east claim Newcastle have agreed a five-year deal with the player, who will be out of contract at relegated West Ham next month.

Bowyer is currently on holiday and no-one at St James’ Park was commenting on the matter today.

Bowyer is a free agent and was released by West Ham following their relegation to Division One earlier this month, having signed a contract until the end of the season with the Upton Park club in January.

He joined the Hammers from Leeds, who sold him for a cut-price £100,000 (€140,000) with his contract due to expire this summer.

He was once the most expensive teenager in British football having signed for the Yorkshire club for £2.7m (€3.78m) from Charlton in July 1996.

Bowyer took time to settle but blossomed into an excellent box-to-box midfielder who was on the verge of an England call-up when he and Leeds team-mate Jonathan Woodgate were charged with grievous bodily harm with intent and affray following an incident in Leeds city centre in January 2000.

The 26-year-old continued to play well despite the court case hanging over his head and was eventually cleared of all charges in December 2001.

The Football Association indicated that the verdict meant he could now be considered for international honours again, but he missed out on the World Cup squad and so far has just one full appearance to his name – in a friendly against Portugal last year.