Milner set to sign on

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has received a double boost with James Milner ready to commit his future to the club as Geremi headed for St James’ Park.

The Cameroon international’s free transfer from Chelsea was officially completed today when he was granted a work permit after agreeing a three-year deal earlier this week.

However, the news former Leeds midfielder Milner is ready to sign a long-term deal is further good news for Allardyce.

The 21-year-old is on holiday after ending a gruelling campaign on international duty with England at the European Under-21 Championships last month.

However, it is understood his agent, Professional Footballers’ Association deputy chief executive Mick McGuire, is close to concluding negotiations with the club over a new contract.

Milner still has two years of his existing deal to run, but is likely to sign an improved five-year contract.

The news marks a remarkable turnaround for the player, who was within hours of completing a permanent move to Aston Villa last summer.

Milner was actually at Villa Park when the Magpies’ bid to sign Mark Viduka from Middlesbrough fell through and scuppered the transfer.

Ironically, the two men will be in the same team next season after the Leeds-born midfielder proved himself a valuable asset to then-manager Glenn Roeder during an intensely difficult campaign.

Milner emerged on the first-team scene as a precocious teenager at Elland Road, and Newcastle took full advantage of the Yorkshire club’s financial difficulties in July 2004 when they snapped him up in a £3.6million deal.

However, he struggled to win a regular place under Sir Bobby Robson and his successor Graeme Souness, and was sent to Villa on loan a year later.

He thrived in the midlands and brought his form back with him to Tyneside, scoring several spectacular goals, including a stunning piledriver in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United on January 1.

Meanwhile, Geremi today became Allardyce’s fourth summer signing when the club received confirmation he has been granted a work permit.

The 28-year-old will join up with his team-mates when they return from their pre-season training camp in Austria next week.

He followed Viduka, Joey Barton and David Rozehnal to St James’ after a busy few weeks in the transfer market.

Allardyce is continuing his recruitment drive with a series of targets still in his sights, although he is delighted with the business the club has done so far.

He said: “I still think that when you are targeting players like Mark Viduka, Joey Barton and David Rozehnal, you have to stave off a lot more competition than we did with the sort of players I was bringing in at Bolton.

“That makes it hugely difficult. You have got to do a lot of selling of yourself and the football club in terms of what you are trying to achieve.

“I think we have done that extremely well given the sort of competition we were up against for all three players.”

Allardyce’s successes have been tempered by the disappointment of those who got away, with Tal Ben Haim and Steve Sidwell – the latter of whom seemed destined for St James’ before Roeder’s departure – choosing Chelsea rather than Newcastle.

The manager said: “The one particular disappointment was we could not stave off Chelsea with Tal Ben Haim – that’s the size of the competition we have come across.

“We could not quite persuade Steve Sidwell to sign either, and he went to Chelsea.

“We have had some disappointments, but I think the three signings we have made in a short space of time have been massive moves forward for the football club.”