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Today's paper. Last Updated: 06/02/2012

With No Cole, Newcastle Mines for New Big Name

LONDON -- Dennis Bergkamp, Matthew Le Tissier, Stan Collymore, Chris Armstrong, Les Ferdinand or Nick Barmby could be heading for Newcastle -- if Wednesday's British newspapers are to be believed.


The British record transfer of Andy Cole from Newcastle to Manchester United on Tuesday sent the papers into a frenzy of speculation as to how Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan will spend the ?6 million ($9.38 million) cash settlement he received for the striker.


The total cost of the transfer is estimated at ?7 million, with teenager Keith Gillespie, who has moved from Manchester to Newcastle as part of the deal, valued at ?1 million.


"The sky is the limit," say the Daily Mail, which claims that Inter Milan's Dutch international star Bergkamp tops Keegan's wanted list.


"Bergkamp would like to play in England and Newcastle chairman Sir John Hall has been keen on him for a while," the Mail said, surmising that Bergkamp's contract could now be worked into the Tyneside club's wage structure.


The Express, however, claims: "Kevin Keegan will make an audacious move for Matt Le Tissier to cool Newcastle fans' anger over yesterday's sale."


"Despite denials from Southampton, the ?5 million sale of their cult hero Le Tissier is an option Newcastle will hastily pursue." On Tuesday, Keegan confronted 30 angry supporters after they gathered outside the club's ground, looking shocked at the news.


But their demands to know what was going on and why the fans' favorite was suddenly leaving received a sharp response of: "I'm in charge -- not you."


The Daily Mirror says Keegan has no less than six targets -- Crystal Palace's Armstrong, Queens Park Rangers' Ferdinand, Tottenham's Barmby, Dean Holdsworth of Wimbledon, Le Tissier and Nottingham Forest man Collymore, a Manchester United target before its swoop for Cole.


Meanwhile, The Sun believes that having brought Cole to Old Trafford, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will now recoup some funds by selling striker Mark Hughes to Everton for ?2.5 million.


Most papers speculate on Cole's new wage package, with the Mirror claiming it will be ?24,100 a week -- comfortably the highest in British soccer -- in addition to a ?750,000 signing bonus and ?2 million in sponsorship deals.


There were also warnings that Cole could fail to live up to expectations immediately. Former Liverpool captain and now BBC television pundit Alan Hansen, writing in Today, warned: "No matter how good Cole is, he'll take time to settle. And, just as importantly, Old Trafford's established stars will take time to understand what his game's all about.


"It could all be just too much for them in what is left of this season."




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