Newcastle United is facing another challenge from Spurs to land the highly-rated Turkish starlet, Arda Turan, with Middlesbrough also said to be interested with the 21-year-old midfielder.

Just like when we chase Modric, numerous reports are saying that Newcastle are to be favourites to snap up the youngster and the deal is set to be done before Euro 2008 starts next month.

The Northern Echo said from their sources in Istanbul, there have been couple of top level talks between Galatasaray and Newcastle. They claim that United is already put an initial offer of around £8.5m for the creative midfielder, while Galatasaray president has told the Tyneside delegation can sign Arda Turan if they tables a formal bid of around £13m.

Turan, a creative left-footed midfielder, has scoring seven goals this season for Galatasaray and has 16 senior international caps under his name. Keegan is projected him as the ideal replacement for Damien Duff who will leave Newcastle this summer. Portsmouth, Spurs and Blackburn are all reported interested in snapping him incase Keegan is set to let him leave.

Meanwhile, Galatasaray manager Cevat Guler’s long-standing interest in Emre could be the key to Newcastle’s successful bid to bring Turan in near time soon.

The Ibrox lads will have a visit to St. James’s Park in August 6th for a friendly game with Newcastle United according a report from Setanta, while the Primera Liga club Valencia is next to follow on August 9th.

After receiving the warning from United’s authority about Toon’s transfer policy to only sign younger player in the summer that could down the prospect of getting City’s skipper Richard Dunne, Kevin Keegan is now keen to take Spanish Carlos Cuellar to Newcastle.

United chief of recruitment Dennis Wise also reported having plans to weighing up our bid to £9million for the Spanish giant, after seeing the player in last week’s UEFA Cup final against Zenit St Petersburg at the City of Manchester Stadium. Cuellar, 26, has made big impact in his first season with Gers since signing from Osasuna last summer.

If the deal goes through, Ibrox manager Walter Smith will be looking for Alan Smith as a swap deal. I can see there’s no harm for us if we let Smith join the SPL team, but Smith £60,000-a-week wages will be a problem for Rangers. My suggestion for Alan Smith, being a Rangers fan, I hope you willing to receive less and play for them.

From other transfer news, United is also fancy FC Basel’s 19-year-old striker Eren Derdiyok who scored against England for Switzerland at Wembley when he came on as a second-half sub in February. Kevin Keegan is also keen to make a double £8m swoop for Galatasaray’s Arda Turan and Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez.

Meanwhile, another Toon reported target Morocco international, Mbark Boussoufa is set to sign a new deal with his current club Anderlecht, to end any speculation of his move to Tyneside.

After admitted the charges last month, Joey Barton was jailed for six months on Tuesday after admitting assault during a night out in Liverpool in December last year.

On his trail today, Judge Globe told Barton that without doubt, the most serious from the other offenders (his cousin Nadine Wilson and his brother Andrew Barton) is him.

On the hearing at the trial, Barton admitted his badly behaviour on that night was the result of his drinking problem. He was drinking 10 pints of lager and five more bottles before assaulting a man and a teenager.

After hearing the news that Barton was going to jailed for at least 6 months, PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor is hopeful Joey Barton will still have the future in football, for his current club and maybe next to play for the England. Despite his imprisonment for assault and affray, Taylor sees Barton as a player with ability and there will always be other clubs looking to take the opportunity to try and improve things around him.

Meanwhile, the club statement only saying to take notes of the sentence passed to Joey Barton at Liverpool Crown Court today and considering the verdict before making further comments.

I’m little disappointed and more apprecite what Keegan said on the day of his appointment as Newcastle manager for the second time. King Kev told Barton that as a Newcastle United player he will support him 100 per-cent and will help him in whatever way he can.

Keegan also said Barton needs help and the best people to help him are the people that know him and we (Keegan) know him. That’s the way of a good manager should handle the situation.

The response from Toon Army was varied between demanding him to leave the club sooner than later and those who still have confidence in him just like Keegan has. Personally, I want us to keep him and hope he will be totally new person after his sentence is over, which predicted will not be longer than 3 months.

I also (still) see Barton as the excellent player when someone has the power to control him. I hope we didn’t forget his contribution in Toon relegation escape this season, especially in a winning match against Spurs. That was when his mind is still not free from any sentence that could happening to him before today. And I believe Keegan can make him back as he used to be, in terms of a good footballer.

What is going on with Newcastle? I can agree of the policy to sign young player to play for Black-and-White but if there’s more mature, experienced player available and he’s good enough then we will not going to sign him?

From the Irish soccer, there’s one rather shocking news about Richard Dunne’s age is likely to scupper his chances of a move to Newcastle United this summer. I really could not believe it, what the hell the Three Muskeeters are in full control to judge who is good or not to play but not the manager himself?

It was once being reported that their main duty is to fill in the reserve squad for the future, but if they also taking part in senior squad, then I can see that Keegan’s second coming will end-up in tears just like in 1996.

Northern Echo newspaper also reporting Toon gaffer Keegan has been informed that the summer transfer money will only be made available to sign young players with a higher sell-on value, very nice one Mike! You’re truly one greedy businessman, and I can see now that your true colors are not in Black-and-White but more into the colors of money.

The Journal Live is writing about Kevin Keegan’s targeting the fourth front man to complement Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins and Mark Viduka next season. Keegan is to believe have been scouting VfB Stuttgart’s Mario Gómez and St Etienne’s Bafetimbi Gomis.

Stuttgart’s 22-year-old target man Gomez, played on last weekend’s VfB draw 2-2 with Arminia Bielefeld where he scored a penalty for his side to qualified for next season’s Intertoto Cup.

Gomez, who also qualifies if he wants to play for Spain beside the German national team has scored 28 goals in 32 club appearances this season and six goals in nine international appearance.

With Milan, Fiorentina, Juventus, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United are all said to be monitoring him while Stuttgart coach Armin Veh is saying that every team who interested in Gomez will have to ready with at least £40m for his services.

Newcastle will also have to fight to get the 22-year-old Bafetimbi Gomis with rumours persisting of Milan’s interest in Adebayor, Wenger could see him as possible replacement at the Emirates. Other team that also keen to sign the 6ft 3in tall striker are Marseille and Sevilla.

From several news report recently, although Kevin Keegan has been handed a new and healthy transfer funds from Mike Ashley, he is adamant that every single one of his current squad is more valuable for his Toon revolution next season.

Keegan said at the very first day he meet with Newcastle United squad, he started the day with three simple questions to get things out from each one of them. Keegan ask to them what do you expect at the club, what do you like about this club, and what don’t you like about it.

And at the end of 2007/2008 season, Super K said everybody at the club’s been fantastic although there’s stuff in some of the papers saying there were United players aren’t happy with the situation at St. James’s Park, but KK don’t see anything like that and still think they’re happy at the club.

“They might not enjoy being out of the team. Any player here can always come and see me.” Keegan said, “If they tell my why they’re unhappy, maybe we can do something about it.”

Meanwhile, Dennis Wise and assistant manager Chris Hughton were in France at the weekend. Both were seen to taking in Metz’s game with Le Mans, on their mission to continuing scoutting the Europe finest club in a bid to bring the best young talent to St James’s Park.

St Etienne striker Bafetimbi Gomis, had also been watched on a couple of occasions by United’s scouting team, and Keegan has also went to France to have a look at this player himself. Whether the hunts will end with successful bid are still remains to be seen.

Manchester City captain Richard Dunne is another player that was in KK’s pocket. The 28 years-old centre-half defender Dunne is wanted by Keegan to help provide the experience in the heart of Newcastle’s defence and to improve the skill on the likes of Steven Taylor and Jose Enrique.