Robson rules out panic buying

Newcastle boss Bobby Robson is adamant he will not panic buy as the closure of the transfer window looms.

The 70-year-old, who saw a £25m (€35.2m) price tag placed on Kieron Dyer yesterday, has made just one signing so far this summer in Lee Bowyer.

Dyer’s situation – Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly interested - has thrown the Magpies back into the limelight after a relatively quiet summer.

However, Robson insists he is happy with what he has got.

“Overall, I don’t feel the first-team pool needs much strengthening,” he said as he prepared his players for the FA Premier League Asia Cup opener against Birmingham in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

“The 22 players I have brought over here are the 22 best players at the club and they will serve us well.

“That is about the right number to see us through another long season on four fronts, and I would expect most of them to play a key role over the coming weeks and months.

“I am well aware that we have only added Lee Bowyer to the squad, but we’re still looking at the market. I’m not saying we will be buying anybody else before the start of the season, but I’m not ruling it out either.

“I’m really happy with what I’ve got, but if the market is such that we can improve on that, then we will consider all our options,” he told the Journal.

Robson dismissed the speculation over Dyer out of hand on his arrival in Malaysia.