Magpies silent on Jenas report

Newcastle are refusing to comment on reports that £10m (€14.4m)-rated midfielder Jermaine Jenas wants to leave St James’ Park.

Jenas has been targeted by a number of top Premiership clubs this summer amid suggestions that he has become dissatisfied with life on Tyneside.

And the player’s absence from Graeme Souness’ squad for Wednesday night’s Intertoto Cup semi-final second leg against Deportivo La Coruna has heightened rumours of an imminent departure.

Souness insisted Jenas had suffered a recurrence of the hamstring problem which has dogged him throughout pre-season, claiming: “He would have started the game if he was fully fit but he was not. He has got a recurring back and groin problem and we have got to address that.”

But his denial has done nothing to dampen talk of the loss of Jenas, which would come as a major blow to a club who have had minimal success in the transfer market this summer.

Souness has conceded he needs at least four more players prior to the start of the new Premiership campaign with his increasingly frantic search for a new striker so far coming to nothing.

Despite the arrivals of Emre, Scott Parker and Craig Moore, Souness has seen seven players exit the club leaving his squad arguably in a worse position than it was at the end of the last disappointing season.