Scott Parker flew into Tyneside this week to complete his £6,5-million transfer from Chelsea to Newcastle United.
Parker is interrupting his holiday in Portugal — he was in the same complex as Alan Shearer — to travel to Newcastle where he will sign a three- or four-year contract.
Newcastle’s manager Graeme Souness is also interrupting a holiday to return home and it is expected that Parker will be unveiled at a press conference after his medical. Souness hopes that the Turkey midfielder Emre Belozoglu of Internazionale will be the next recruit to St James’ Park with the defender Daniel van Buyten — again hopefully — to follow from Hamburg.
Souness also has a new striker as a priority, but it is understood that is now unlikely to be Robbie Keane. At the end of last season Souness spoke admiringly of Crystal Palace’s Andy Johnson. Middlesbrough’s Mark Viduka is on Newcastle’s list of potential targets, but is not top of it.
Parker’s signature will bring to a close a transfer that was turning into a saga. In signing for Newcastle, Parker has avoided becoming embroiled in the Chelsea-Tottenham fallout over the tapping up of Frank Arnesen.
In the end, Parker’s wage demands could not be met by Tottenham, whom Parker supported as a boy, but Newcastle are established big payers and were not deterred by the reported £2,5-million a year Parker earned at Stamford Bridge.
Parker moved to Chelsea from Charlton only 17 months ago — for £10-million — but was not a regular even for the man who signed him, Claudio Ranieri.
When Jose Mourinho succeeded Ranieri, Parker remained behind Claude Makalele and Frank Lampard in the pecking order and, last season, Parker’s chances were further limited by injury.
Newcastle’s ability to take on Parker’s fee and salary is in part down to their success in trimming the existing wage bill this summer. Patrick Kluivert, Aaron Hughes and Andy O’Brien have left St James’ and this week they were joined by Laurent Robert. They will be followed soon by Lee Bowyer.
Robert may have tested the patience of Souness, and before him Sir Bobby Robson, but that did not deter Alain Perrin at Portsmouth from signing his fellow Frenchman on a three-year contract.
The fee for Robert is believed to be about £2-million, meaning a £7,5-million loss for Newcastle, who signed the winger from Paris St Germain in 2001. ‘I was attracted by Portsmouth,†said Robert. ‘Since Perrin joined the club late last season, the players have had fun.â€
Bolton had also spoken to Robert’s representatives, but Sam Allardyce conceded they were some way off an agreement with the player. They would not offer the 30-year-old a three-year deal.
Birmingham were given permission to speak to Bowyer this week and, though Newcastle may want a fee, it is not expected to be over £1-million. Newcastle will be pleased simply to have Bowyer’s significant wages removed and will hope his departure ends mention of the Bowyer-Kieron Dyer fracas in April.
Birmingham’s chairperson, David Gold, said: ‘Lee Bowyer’s record speaks for itself and we know Steve Bruce is special in getting the best out of players with his management skills. He has shown that on so many occasions.â€
Bruce said: ‘We’ve never really replaced Robbie Savage.†—